Two Quarters And A Heart Down
by coalesce
Summary: Six years ago, Mikan was taken away. Now she's back at the Academy but she's not who she used to be. She can't laugh with her old friends any more but her feelings for a certain black cat haven't changed...
1. Return

Mikan was taken away from the Academy when she was ten and was whisked off to a dingy little island for some intense training! Now she's back at the Academy, facing new dangers with her freshly-mastered Alice. But whoever threatens her doesn't unnerve her one bit. In fact, what she's scared of the most is facing Natsume because even after all those years, she still has feelings for him.

**Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice is the property of Higuchi Tachibana.**

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**Two Quarters And A Heart Down  
1: Return  
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I closed my eyes though my body remained rigid.

My shoulders were tensed and my hands were tightly clasped in my lap. I fidgeted slightly in the plush leather seat of the limousine.

I could feel a pair of eyes staring at me intently --- blood red eyes concealed by a white mask. The owner of those eyes was sitting opposite me, clad in a long, black coat.

I attempted to pull my skirt down. It was impossible in my sitting position. After years of wearing nothing but grimy sweats, I felt naked in the short, ochre skirt of the Alice Academy high school division uniform.

"Sakura-dono," Persona's silky voice cut the silence. "You really must relax. It's a long ride back to the Academy."

I ignored his suggestion. To say that I _hated_ this man was the understatement of the year. It was this very man that took my happiness away, after all.

The short time I spent at the Alice Academy was the happiest in my life, needless to say. But before I turned eleven, even less than a year since I entered the Academy as a student, this dark man called Persona took me away.

He took me to a dreary little clump of land in the middle of the ocean with six other students from the Academy. The sky was always dark and the atmosphere was constantly depressing and a sense of hopelessness hung thick in the air. The mood alone was enough to convince you that life wasn't worth living any more.

We called that miserable island "The Black Hole".

There, we underwent rigorous training of our Alices. For what, I didn't know.

The training was horrible and very demanding. We were forced into situations so deadly that we had to summon our Alices to the point where our bodies could no longer take it. _They_ called it "bringing out the fullest potential".

There were times when we were forced to wear special control devices too. But they weren't Alice Controls; they were Emotion Controls. These devices prevented us from feeling certain emotions such as joy or else immense pain would be inflicted on us. Our "trainers" believed that our emotions got in the way of us mastering our Alices.

We had to go through physical training as well. Everyday, we ran barefoot through the dense island jungle, braving the forces of Mother Nature. There were countless poisonous plants and animals in the jungle as well. I myself had been bitten twice by poisonous snakes but had somehow lived through the ordeals with the help of my fellow prisoners. To make matters worse, there were no doctors or anyone with a Healing Alice on the island. And our "trainers" just didn't care.

It was no surprise that four of my companions died during our time on that plethora of despair.

On the Black Hole, there was no clear indication of time aside from our own bodily changes.

You can imagine the shock I felt when Persona told me I had just turned sixteen the other day. And, they were letting me go back to the Academy.

That was when everything became clear to me.

The Alice Academy was fighting a silent war with the Anti-Alice Organisation. They were desperate and sent the seven of us to a faraway island so we could concentrate and master our abilities then come back to help them fight, before the AAO could get their hands on us.

Why they wanted me and my Nullifying Alice, I could understand. My companions had some pretty amazing Alices too --- definitely useful in a "war". It was a pity that four of them died.

My remaining companions were two boys named Hiro Hayasaka and Kenta Fujimori. Kenta had an Intangible Alice and had gone back to the Academy before me. Hiro-kun had an Alice of Ice and he was still on that dump of an island; still stuck in damp hell.

What I didn't understand, however, was why they didn't send that fire boy, Natsume Hyuuga, away with us.

The limo screeched with a halt and my eyes fluttered open. We were at the Academy gates now. I felt my stomach do loop-de-loops.

Persona chuckled in amusement as he watched me twist the fabric of my skirt.

"Sakura-dono," a bored voice to my left drawled. "It's still a long way to the main building; no need to worry just yet."

The voice belonged to Urumi, my _personal_ _torturer_ over the past six years. It was possible that I loathed her even more than Persona.

_What is it with these people anyway?_ I thought in annoyance as I glanced at Urumi. Both Persona and Urumi had their faces half-hidden. While Persona wore a white eye mask, Urumi's mouth and nose were covered with a black cloth that extended from a tight black turtleneck she wore. Also, she had a thick, long black fringe that covered half her face. It made one believe that she had only one eye.

Why were these people so intent on hiding their identities?

I gulped. The main building was where the headmasters and teachers of the school resided in their free time. They were taking me to meet my teachers, and, possibly, my father.

During the time I spent on the Black Hole, I learned about my parentage. My father was one of the three headmasters of the school and my mother was… The head of the AAO. It was no wonder, really, that the school desperately sent me away to train; away from the influence of the opposition. I would be a threat to the Academy if I were fighting on the other side.

Since I was the headmaster's, their boss', daughter, that pretty much explained why they called me "Sakura-dono". They wanted to stay on my father's good side.

But that wasn't what I was worried about.

After whatever affairs were settled in the main building, I had to go for my classes. And then I'd have to face my old friends again.

You'd think that I'd be looking forward to that more than anything else in the world.

But, no. You see, I was taken away six years ago so… _abruptly_. There was hardly any time for goodbyes.

I imagined that all my good friends --- Hotaru, Yuu, Ruka, Natsume, Tsubasa-sempai, Anna, Nonoko, Koko and even Sumire --- would be downright mad at me. I couldn't even send them letters explaining my sudden departure.

And, when you knew the ten-year-old Mikan Sakura, dumb as she is, you had certain expectations of her.

Everyone expected Mikan Sakura to be ever-cheerful, ever-smiling.

And that's why I was so afraid to face my old friends again.

I was afraid that I couldn't meet those expectations and they'd cast me aside because they didn't know this person. Though we had the same name, we weren't the same person.

But then again…

People change. If I had changed, then so had they, right?

Though we were friends in the past, we were strangers now.

The limousine halted, tires screeching with a sense of finality.

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I felt like laughing.

However, I didn't dare to as Persona and Urumi were still in the room.

We were in the waiting room in the main building. Yes, the same waiting room I had sat in all those years ago, watching Natsume sleep. And, I was looking out through the same window that Ruka had broken all those years ago.

It was very nostalgic. And, well, here I am again.

I snapped out of my reverie as the doors opened to reveal none other than Narumi-sensei. Misaki-sensei and Jinno-sensei trooped in after him.

Narumi-sensei was probably in his early thirties now. He didn't look much different though his hair was shorter and his face had very faint worry lines on them.

Misaki-sensei was the same, not including the part about the hair and, dare I say it, _Jin-Jin_ looked exactly the same. He always had those wretched wrinkles at the edges of the mouth, be it summer or winter.

I wanted to smile at them, hug Narumi-sensei, cry "I'm back!" but I couldn't lest Urumi and Persona would see. I didn't want to wear one of those blasted control devices again.

I did, however, let a small smile grace my features and I sincerely hoped that the two abominations didn't notice.

"Mikan-chan!" Narumi-sensei happily greeted. He gathered me into an embrace and I could smell his sweet cologne. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Persona smirk and Urumi wrinkle her nose in disgust. She never understood the significance of these signs of affection.

Cautiously, I fought the impulse to return his embrace. He broke contact though both his arms remained on my shoulders. "Narumi-sensei," I said in acknowledgement. My voice sounded soft and faraway, probably from lack of use. I gave a little bow as well.

Sadness seeped into his purple eyes and I felt a pang of guilt.

Persona stood up from his seat and his heels clicked on the marble floor. "Please inform the headmaster that his daughter has arrived."

"I'm sorry," Jinno-sensei said. "The headmaster has more pressing engagements to attend to at the moment. He expresses his sincere regret and requests that your meeting be postponed to tomorrow."

"That's fine," Urumi waved her hand in irritation. "Tomorrow then."

Misaki-sensei handed me a small parcel wrapped in brown paper. "This contains your timetable, school diary, allowance for the month, a map of the campus and the keys to your dormitory room."

I turned away from Narumi-sensei and his hands fell limp by his sides. "Thank you," I said listlessly as I accepted the package from Misaki-sensei.

Without another word, the three teachers walked out of the room. Narumi-sensei shot me one last dejected look before snapping the double doors shut.

I sighed and told myself to expect similar, and probably worse, even violent, reactions from my old friends and classmates.

Persona's heels clicked on the marble floor as he headed towards the door. "I have business to attend to," he said simply. "Ah, yes. Make sure you're free tonight. We'll see how much six years' of training is worth."

I nodded solemnly. My first day back and already I had a mission. I felt sick.

"Urumi-sama?" I said quietly.

"Mm?" She didn't bother making eye contact with me.

"I feel… unwell. May I skip my classes today?"

This time her piercing gaze met mine. After a while, she said in that muffled voice of hers, "Very well."

For once, I felt grateful towards her. We headed out of the main building.

"Sakura-dono," she said listlessly. Her eye had a dull shine to it. "You have no clothes other than your uniform. Go to Central Town tomorrow and buy new ones. I doubt that your ten-year-old garments still fit you."

"Hai," I said just as listlessly.

"Don't be late tonight. _Or else_." Her eye took on a manic glint.

The only times Urumi showed any emotion was during training. The transformation was always frightening.

She grunted and walked away from me. I didn't know where she was going but I didn't care anyway.

I walked towards the dormitories, hoping that I still remembered the way.

I couldn't help but think how strange Urumi looked against the cream and white façades of the Alice Academy buildings. I had grown accustomed to seeing her framed against the dreary dark sky of the island.

Now, seeing her walking in the light, I couldn't help but notice how she looked like a fish out of water.

Her sharp, purple eye was narrowed in annoyance as she glared at all the flowers around her. She was visibly squinting because of the sunlight. Her shoulders were hunched and she looked completely out of place with her black, billowing robes.

She knew this well and was striding purposefully towards the Northern Forest, eager to hide away from the sunlight. What annoyance she felt now, she would probably take it out on me later.

I frowned at this thought then I sniggered.

Seeing her like that… Well, even Persona looked more _natural_ on the Academy grounds and that was saying a lot, considering he was a man that wore a lot of jewellery, high heels, nail polish and lipstick.

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I sat in front of the vanity mirror in my new room.

Apparently, I had been promoted in my star rank so it took me a long time to find my room, especially since I had to refer to the map Misaki-sensei gave me, as I didn't know where the high school dormitory building was.

Indeed, time didn't matter on that little island as every day was spent struggling for survival. If only I had paid a little more attention to my physical growth, I wouldn't find it so shocking every time I looked into the mirror.

There was only one decent bathroom on the Black Hole but that was for trainers only.

Before going back to the Academy, Urumi took me to a nearby city by boat and we stayed in a small hotel overnight. There, I managed to take my first decent shower in eons. The amount of dirt and grime that washed out of my hair and body was unbelievable!

I guess that was another thing I was thankful to Urumi for: she was a girl and she understood the importance of looking presentable.

I blinked at my reflection in the mirror.

Urumi looked uncomfortable in every single situation aside from those where she was inflicting pain.

I almost _liked_ her when she was "vulnerable".

What made her become who she was?

I shook my head and refused to think about it. If I so much as thought that Urumi had a shred of humanity in her, I would hate her less.

When it came down to it, hatred was the only emotion I had that made me feel sane. Along with pain, it was the only constant in my life for the past six years.

I blinked again. I was going to have to adjust to a whole new routine back at the Academy. And I'd have to get used to dealing with people again too… People who had no idea of where I've been or what I've been through recently.

I pushed that thought into the back of my mind and stared at the girl who stared right back.

I was sixteen now. I hadn't even realised my own growth.

I stroked my hazel hair. It was lustrous and wavy, reaching to my hips. It was once thin but my hair was now thick, my fringe covering the part of my forehead that was once exposed when I was a ten-year-old.

My fingers and legs were considerably longer and I was much taller of course. My hands were calloused from years of training.

I stood up and looked at my figure. I had filled out at my hips and my chest had developed. I cupped my breasts.

I wondered if I could be considered a woman now.

"_Little girl."_

I blushed. Why did I suddenly remember that stupid nickname Natsume always called me? And why was I thinking of that pervert now?

I sat down again and wondered how much Natsume had grown too. Did he have a girlfriend now?

I blushed again.

I smiled at my reflection. Classes were officially starting for me tomorrow and I was looking forward to seeing how different my old friends looked now.

My smile quickly turned into a frown.

I remembered that whole "expectations" thing.

I placed my hands in my lap and found myself thinking, _What would the old Mikan do?_

She'd go with the flow and smile no matter what.

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**To be continued...**

Reviews please!


	2. Numbing

Now, has Mikan really changed all that much? Or does she simply want to believe that she's changed?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice. All rights go to Higuchi Tachibana.**

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**Two Quarters And A Heart Down  
2: Numbing  
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My exact instructions from Persona were: _follow the Black Cat but stay out of sight. Step in for defence._

But Urumi's instructions were: _only use your Alice for dispelling the effect of the enemies' Alices. Do not use your Alice for defending against physical attacks._

I knew why I wasn't allowed to use my Alice for physical attacks.

Though I had pretty much mastered my Nullifying Alice, even going so far as to discover that stealing other people's Alices was part of it, my ability to defend against physical attacks was rather erratic.

If I experimented with that aspect of my Alice now, I would probably fail and die, getting the Black Cat killed as well.

Of course I knew who the Black Cat was.

I was nervous enough on my first mission; he didn't have to make it worse for me, though he was unaware of my presence.

Natsume was standing in the middle of the road, muscles tensed. The black cat mask covered his face so I couldn't see how much his face had changed.

There were the more obvious changes though, like in height. His frame was leaner too. I had to admit, my feelings for him still lingered.

_Baka!_ I reprimanded myself. I was on a dangerous mission here! I was supposed to protect Natsume, not get distracted!

I didn't have a cool mask like Natsume did and the abominations didn't prepare anything special for me to wear. So, to protect my identity, Urumi _cleverly_ took a large handkerchief from her coat pocket and tied it around my head, secured at my nose. Add in a pair of sunglasses and I looked just like one of those underwear thieves from cartoons!

I silently cursed Urumi and her malevolent sense of humour.

My attention refocused on Natsume as a car pulled up in front of him.

Seven men in suits and shades scrambled out of the car and surrounded him, aiming their guns at him. Oh boy, the AAO goons were here.

Immediately, their guns caught fire and they dropped them to the ground, silently cursing.

Along with my ability to steal Alices, I could innately identify them too when they were used. The man directly in front of Natsume had an Alice that could make thrown projectiles explode.

He brandished a pebble from his pocket and threw it at Natsume, ready to make it explode. Natsume was caught unawares, unable to defend himself. His fire would only make the explosion worse!

I felt a surge of emotions rush through me: anger, urgency and… protectiveness?

A voice at the back of my head screamed _Don't you hurt my Natsume!_

As I leapt out of my hiding place amongst the trees and shadows, I saw most of the men had recovered and were drawing out new guns from their coats.

I shielded Natsume with my body, determined not to let him see me in my stupid disguise. I made a slashing motion in the air with my right arm.

There seemed to be ripples in the air as the pebble harmlessly dropped to the ground.

However, in my anger, I had made the effects of my Alice too strong.

The man with the Explosive Alice was thrown backwards from the ripple effect in the air. The other men were affected too and were slammed down on the ground.

The impact made their guns go off.

_AHOU!_ I screamed at myself as I instinctively drew up my arms to protect myself from the onslaught of bullets.

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I gasped as we landed on the damp grass.

I felt like the wind had just been knocked out of me.

I blinked. What just happened?

I realised that a figure was lying on top of me. A hand quickly covered my mouth before I could scream.

"Sssh," Kenta hissed. "We're not out of the woods yet."

Literally.

I was rejoicing inside my head.

We were saved!

Apparently, Kenta was sent on this mission too. He used his Intangible Alice to make us, well, intangible.

The bullets had gone through us and we had sunk through the road and Kenta transported us back to the forest where I was hiding just a moment ago.

After a while, the voices of the men died down. I heard car doors slam and the screeching of tires driving off.

Kenta relinquished his hand and that was when I realised I was lying on top of someone. _Natsume!_

I quickly rolled off him and dusted myself off, my back facing him. I didn't want him to recognise me!

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He had gotten up now too, grumbling under his breath.

I sighed in relief. He was safe.

No words needed to be exchanged as the three of us made our way back to the Academy.

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I awoke to the sound of knocking at my door.

Since I had not yet bought a new pair of pyjamas, I slept in only my school blouse.

I groggily answered the door and blinked at the sight of a grinning Kenta.

"Good thing I woke you up," he sniggered, eyeing my messy hair. "Else you would've been late on your first day of school!"

"Ha ha, very funny," I sneered, ruffling his silver hair. Even back on that stupid island, my sleeping habits got me into loads of trouble with Urumi.

I grabbed a fresh set of my uniform and headed towards the bathroom for a quick morning shower.

"How long have you been at the Academy already?" I yelled over the sound of running water.

"Three months!" he yelled back.

I quickly dried myself off and haphazardly put on my uniform. I stepped out of the bathroom and proceeded to look for my boots, which I had kicked under the bed last night.

"Was last night your first job?" I asked, ducking under the bed. I found one boot.

"Nah," he replied. His footsteps echoed as he paced across my room. "I think it's my fourth. It's been the same missions since I got here: protect the Black Cat but stay out of sight until necessary."

"Was that all they've been training us for?" I asked, annoyed. I found the other boot.

"I think these missions are just practice, really," Kenta said casually. He sat on the edge of my bed.

I crawled out from under my bed and sat next to him, pulling on my boots. His mood was considerably better compared to his old brooding self. I guess being in the Academy was good influence for him.

I wondered if I would be like that too, in a few months' time. I wasn't really feeling like I should be happy. All I felt was anxiety but, for now, I'll pretend to be happy for his sake. I couldn't bear to ruin his happiness.

"I reckon we were trained for defense, not offense," Kenta continued, running a hand through his silver hair, "since that Hyuuga boy's more than enough to handle for offense."

"Mm," I said thoughtfully. I stood up and faced him. I noticed he was wearing the ochre uniform too.

"So, how old did you find out you are?" I joked.

He grinned at me. "Seventeen, and that means I'm your senior, kiddo."

His forehead creased as he grunted. He unbuttoned my blazer and re-buttoned it neatly for me.

I giggled. "Thank you, neat freak-sempai."

He kissed my forehead. "You're welcome, messy monster-kohai."

I laughed. I really missed Kenta in the few months he had been gone.

You'd think we'd be more serious and gloomy, living on that island for the past six years. But now that we're together outside that wretched clump of land, we just wanted to be happy with each other. We'd had enough of the depressing atmosphere of the island.

Besides, he was probably the only one in the whole school who had no expectations of me because he was with me as I grew and changed.

He's been like an older brother to me throughout the years and he often reminded me of Tsubasa-sempai.

I just remembered. Tsubasa-sempai was three years older than me and I was sixteen now. That made him and the others nineteen so they already graduated last year.

Kenta noticed my unusual silence. He grabbed my arm and steered me out of my room for breakfast but we didn't enter the dining hall, much to my relief. We also didn't encounter any of my old friends in the hallways so all I could say was, Thank you, Kami-sama.

It gave me a bit more time before the big confrontation I was expecting to get from my old friends.

Kenta took me outside and we sat under a large oak tree. He tossed me a sandwich and an apple.

We ate in silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence though; it was one of contentment between two good friends just watching the world go by.

There were elementary school kids laughing and playing tag with each other. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. It was so much more cheerful compared to the despair of the Black Hole.

Maybe… Just maybe… I could change with the weather too.

Maybe I'd be more cheerful again, even go back to being the old Mikan for my friends' sakes.

I knew it wasn't impossible; I'd been feeling a whole lot happier ever since leaving the Black Hole anyway.

After polishing off my food, Kenta tossed me a bottle of milk. I downed it quickly.

I decided to go back to my room and retrieve the map Misaki-sensei had given me. I definitely needed it to find my way to the classrooms.

"Wait," Kenta said before I turned around.

"What is it?"

In answer, he placed a pale yellow barrette in my hair, pulling one side of my hair back behind my ear.

My hand reached up to finger it. The barrette was very pretty; it had beautiful orange rhinestones set into it.

"Thank you."

And for the first time since I got here, I gave a true, genuine smile.

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When Kenta was out of sight, someone grabbed me and pinned me to the ground.

It was Urumi.

She slapped me and hissed, "Don't think I don't know what you did last night."

I refused to make eye contact with her. I was determined not to let her see an ounce of emotion.

"Listen here, _Sakura-dono_." The woman grabbed the front of my blazer and slammed me against a tree. "Do not lose control of your emotions again. I've told you before."

She began unbuttoning my blazer and blouse.

Unlike Kenta's Alice, my Alice's effects were directly linked to my emotions. To effectively manipulate my Alice, I was forced to wear one of those damned Emotion Controls. I was allowed to take it off for short periods of time but Urumi would make me wear it again if she felt my emotions get out of hand again.

She pressed her palm flat against my chest, directly over my heart. I felt something cold on my chest then suddenly, a hot, burning sensation seared through my body. I bit back a scream.

Urumi looked pleased. "You know the drill, Sakura-dono."

She pushed me against the tree once more and stalked away, laughing darkly.

I looked at the control device the abominable woman put on me. It was a dark blue metal chip in the shape of a dolphin. I fingered it and thought about the star-shaped mark that Tsubasa had. He said it was to make sure he didn't break the school rules again.

I sighed and brushed myself off. I had to go back to my room to clean myself up before classes started.

As I walked away, I couldn't help but bitterly think that the Academy had control devices for everything.

Who knows? Maybe next they'd invent a device that prevented you from falling in love.

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**To be continued...**

Reviews please! General comments and constructive criticism are much appreciated!


	3. Father

Thank you all so much to my wonderful reviewers! Each and every review means a lot to me! Thank you!

This chapter is especially dedicated to **SNOWMIRAGE** and **GAKU NAMIKIRI **for making my day extra special! Don't die on me you guys! Here's the latest chapter!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice.**

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**Two Quarters And A Heart Down  
3: Father**  
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I fingered the dolphin-shaped mark on my chest.

Buttoning a fresh school blouse, I closed my eyes and sighed. I flopped onto my bed and stared at the ceiling.

"_You know the drill."_

I rolled to my side and looked out of the window, remembering the times the darned woman Urumi made me wear the blasted control device.

Over the years, I wore the device for durations ranging from a few days to several months. Then, Urumi would take it off for ridiculously long periods of time then force the thing on me again. Each Emotion Control device had its own settings on which emotions to dispel and allow, much like a permeable cell membrane.

There were rare days when I would be happy and she'd stick a device on me that dispelled happiness. There were days when I got moody and she'd force a control device on me that didn't even allow me to feel sad.

Her favourite days were when she had treated me especially abusive and I'd be forced to wear a device that dispelled my hatred toward her.

It was sickening.

The changes were always so distract it was always a challenge to adapt. One was forced to become unfeeling, throwing away all emotions just to skive away from a little bit of pain.

But emotions always came back and the truth was, the pain the devices brought was far from little.

Like the certain emotions each device was set for, the devices had different levels and types of pain too. It was never easy to endure.

I liked to believe that the blasted woman sprung those periodic changes on me just to fulfil her own sadistic pleasures; this only fuelled my hatred toward her. Hatred was an emotion that this particular device allowed, I found, and I smirked at that.

At least I'd be allowed to keep one constant emotion.

I blinked. I had been looking out of my room window, which had a clear view of one of the Academy's clock towers, but I wasn't really seeing. Classes were due to start in fifteen minutes.

I jumped out of bed and grabbed the map Misaki-sensei had provided me with. I passed by the mirror in my room and, once again, I was forced to stop and look at my reflection in shock.

It wasn't because of a bad hair day or anything like that; I just remembered that I had left my hair down during the previous night's mission.

In an attempt to avoid recognition from a certain teenage boy, I quickly pulled my hair back in a half-pony, securing it with Kenta's pale yellow barrette. As I peered at myself in the mirror, I saw something white poking out from the dresser.

I pulled it out: it was a photograph of Hotaru and I from the fourth grade.

The ten-year-old me was hugging Hotaru, and, in a rare display of emotion, the ten-year-old Hotaru was smiling at the camera. It was small but a smile nonetheless.

I felt searing, hot pain rise in my chest as I thought about Hotaru. There were countless questions in my head of what she'd do to me after today but I dismissed such thoughts and the pain in my chest left almost immediately.

What really haunted me were my eyes.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror once more. My eyes in the photograph were big, round and child-like, shining with exuberance and zest for life. My eyes in the reflection weren't as big and round and they had lost their childish innocence. The shine was gone from them and a dull, pained expression dominated my olive irises. Despair and death haunted my eyes and made them look hollow, unfocused, and almost catatonic.

I shuddered. The girl staring at me had eyes that were too old for her face.

I tore my gaze away from this empty shell of a child. I threw the photograph back in its drawer, ripped the duvet from my bed and covered the mirror.

Glancing at the clock tower, I only had ten minutes to amble through the campus to get to class in time.

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I've learned that fate was never kind.

There were always two sides to a story but no matter how careful you've been along the way, your destiny was set for you before birth.

I used to think I could change fate, but, as I grew older, I learnt that the little turnarounds in life were part of fate after all. I no longer wished to change fate or go back in time; I learnt to just observe, be an outsider in my own life and watch what happens as time goes by, making its mark and exemplifying those affected.

Fate was never kind.

Just as when you're about to accept your destiny and move on, your past comes back to haunt you.

I couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic as I bumped into someone on my way to class; I was late, just like old times.

But this time, the victim of my blunder wasn't the notorious Natsume Hyuuga. It was someone whom I've always known to come extra early for classes, finishing up whatever crazy invention she was currently working on.

Deep, purple irises met my olive ones and widened slightly.

I found this rather amusing --- another show of emotion from the ice queen, Hotaru Imai. I felt a rush of affection for this girl and I had to fend off innate impulses to hug her as I battled the pain the damned device was causing me.

I resorted to taking note of her changes instead.

Hotaru had grown her hair to her shoulders. We were the same height though she remained as pale as ever. I noticed that she was panting slightly and there was sweat on her brow when we almost walked into each other round the corner.

I wondered why she was late for class. I wondered what she had been doing before this that had made her late. And, I added with another hint of affectionate amusement, which the dolphin-shaped mark punished me with a stinging sensation in my chest, if she was late for class, why didn't she just get onto that trademark swan-mobile of hers?

Time itself seemed to slow down at that moment, the two of us just standing there gazing at each other. We had intuitively recognised the other and were peering into each other's eyes, scrutinising, analysing, attempting to see into the window of the other's soul, looking for clues as to how the other had lived the past six years.

I felt content playing this guessing game with our eyes. I didn't want her to speak lest ruin the moment.

Besides, I didn't want to hear her hurtful words, accusing me for suddenly disappearing all those years ago.

But fate was never kind, and time cruelly resumed its place in the world again, motion back in motion.

Time manifested itself in the form of a loud and annoying school bell, signalling the start of classes.

I glanced at Hotaru, keeping a poker face on.

To my surprise, she gave a small smile. The same small, sheepish smile that was in the photograph I saw this morning.

Hotaru shook my right hand. "Welcome to Alice Academy," she said in that familiar, soft, monotonous voice of hers. "The first-years of the high school division have been split into three classes. I'm Hotaru Imai, vice-head of class A."

I smiled warmly at her, melting away the emotionless mask I was previously resorted to hide behind. I gave her hand a small squeeze. "I'm Mikan Sakura," my voice sounded faraway to my own ears. "I'll be joining you in class A. It's good to be back at the Academy."

I ignored the inflammation in my chest as Hotaru and I walked to our classroom, hand-in-hand like a pair of innocent children.

Hotaru was worth the pain.

She was worth it.

\\\\\\

I really wasn't sure what to expect when I met my new and old classmates.

I was sure that a lot of new students had joined our cohort since I left, since we were split into three classes and there were only about forty of us in class B when back in elementary school.

I remembered all the ruckus we had caused back then, and that was probably why my batch was split into three classes, in an attempt to abolish the mischief we were previously infamous for.

As we were nearing the classroom, I heard the cacophony of voices and the scraping of chairs against wood. My classmates were within my radius of familiarity and I tried to identify their Alices in an attempt to distract myself from the growing pain the device was causing me.

I felt like I was burning alive. Since the mark was placed above my heart, the pain started there and spread gradually.

I couldn't help it; I was that happy being reunited with my best friend.

I tried not to think about what feelings would ensue from my reunions with old acquaintances as well. This dolphin-shaped device definitely disapproved of happiness and affection. _What about Natsume? How much pain is he going to cost me? Is he worth the pain?_

_Natsume was worth the pain._

I concentrated on identifying the Alices. I recognised some familiar ones like Yuu's Alice of Illusion. I also identified some erratically familiar ones such as those of Remote Hearing ability. I picked up a few unfamiliar Alices too --- Plant Transformation and a bizarre one that could make inanimate objects come to life, but only for a short period of time.

I tried sensing Fire and Animal Pheromone but they were out of my radius.

I felt my body temperature increase rapidly and Hotaru let go of my hand as though she'd just been scalded.

I wasn't sweating because the pain was coming from the _inside_ and I had reapplied the poker face too. I was going to keel over any second --- the pain I got from just _being around_ Hotaru was overwhelming me.

"Ah! Mikan-chan! There you are!"

I turned around and saw Narumi-sensei fast approaching. He smiled brightly at us, seemingly unperturbed by my reaction toward him the previous day. "Ne, Imai-san, it's not like you to be late for class," he chirped. "It's a good thing the headmaster held Jinno-sensei up or you'd have gotten into trouble. Remember, he's your form teacher now."

He looked me straight in the eye. "Mikan-chan, you'll be excused from your morning classes. The headmaster would like to see you."

I nodded and followed Narumi-sensei out of the high school building. I was actually relieved at the sudden intrusion. The pain subsided a little.

After a while, I heard Hotaru open the door and walk in.

\\\\\

What was I suppose to expect of my father?

I didn't want anyone to treat me as though they had certain expectations I was required to fill so I decided not to treat others like that as well.

But still… I couldn't help but expect something from my father. A show of fatherly affection toward his daughter? An explanation? A reason for leaving me behind with my grandfather when he could have raised me himself? Why didn't he let me know who he was when I first came to the Academy?

The three of us --- Narumi-sensei, my father and myself --- were sitting at a round table in a clearing in the forest.

I stole a glance at the esteemed headmaster. There was no doubt he was my biological father --- we shared the same hair and eye colours though his were slightly darker. He looked rather young, the same age as Narumi-sensei --- early to mid thirties.

He put down his teacup and Narumi-sensei started refilling it. "Mikan," he said softly, his eyes twinkling. His voice was deep and soothing. "You look just like your mother."

He clasped his hands together and smiled warmly at me. I didn't return the smile. "My name is Yuki Aoshi, headmaster of the high school division. I'm your father."

My poker face was still on and I stared at him listlessly. Yeah, yeah, tell me something I don't already know.

He chuckled at my indolence. "I suppose you're waiting for an explanation of sorts?"

He took another sip of tea. "It was complicated." His voice took on a pained, sad tone, as though forcing himself to remember a harrowing ordeal. "Our romance was so sudden, a whirlwind of sorts. I knew nothing about her and she knew nothing about me. But we fell in love."

A sigh. Another sip of tea.

"When we realised who the other was, it was too late to go back in time and reverse it." He meant my mother's pregnancy. "We couldn't get married because of… familial complications." I knew those complications, of course. Urumi had teased me for years about being an unwanted child. "You know, you were born right here on campus, in the Alice Academy hospital."

I cringed. I didn't know why but every single word he spoke evoked different emotions in me. I wasn't even thinking about what he said; I was merely listening, observing. The device was causing me immense pain.

Aoshi-san took another sip of tea. His emerald eyes focused on me as I struggled to regain my composure. I felt stupid; surely I looked constipated like this. I felt Narumi-sensei's eyes on me, too.

"When you were born, there was a dispute over whose side of the family you should inherit, Mikan. Your mother decided to settle the matter herself. She left the Academy in her last year of high school. She took you to your grandfather and said that when you grew up, you'd decide which side to fight for yourself. She didn't even come back for graduation, and I've never seen her since."

Remorse stained his emerald irises. He downed his cup of tea and stood up. Narumi-sensei stood too and I followed suit.

Aoshi-san clamped a hand on my shoulder and gave a light squeeze. "You're very quiet, Mikan," he chuckled. He took a thick, white envelope from his pocket and handed it to me. "5000 rabbits, just for you. Buy yourself something nice, Mikan. I want to see you smile."

He began walking away. "Just think of it as a small father-to-daughter gift," he winked at me. "Mikan, your time is coming soon. I hope you choose my side. Fight for the Academy, for your friends."

My emotionless mask was fixed back on as I stared after him, walking back to headquarters.

He left me feeling angry at his words and I felt tears threatening to spill out of my eyes.

"Mikan?" Narumi-sensei inquired gently.

I didn't consider the headmaster to be my father. To me, he was just Aoshi-san, headmaster. He wasn't anything like a father should be, or at least he wasn't anything like the father I dreamt of having as a child.

He didn't ruffle my hair or kiss my forehead the way Hotaru's dad did when we were little. He didn't hug me and tell me I was pretty or comfort me the way Narumi-sensei did when I tried escaping from the Academy to see Jii-chan.

All he did was tell me the story of how much my mother wanted to get rid of me, pass the burden to me. Then he bribed me with money, a trivial thing, in an attempt to win me over. I was disgusted. He didn't even once mention my mother's name.

No, he wasn't my father.

"Narumi-sensei…" I choked out.

Narumi-sensei became alarmed. He saw the tears leaving traces on my cheeks and he engulfed me in an embrace. "It's alright Mikan," he coaxed, gently and softly. "It's alright to cry."

My knees buckled and I buried my face in his chest, crying for all I was worth. I cried for sadness, anger and disappointment. I cried for love. And I even cried for the pain the control device was dishing out now.

I was an unwanted child, through and through.

"He's not my father," I bawled into Narumi-sensei's chest. "He's not my dad."

Narumi-sensei rubbed my back. Understanding was evident in his eyes. Even he knew what a jerk my so-called father was.

After what seemed like hours, the pain the device was causing me became unbearable and I fought to push away my emotions.

The device had certainly gotten a workout today.

"I'm sorry," I said softly, putting my mask in place and finding the ground very interesting to look at.

I was tired and Narumi-sensei decided to take me to his house to get cleaned up, for the second time that day.

"Narumi-sensei?'

"Yes, Mikan?"

"That woman Aoshi-san was talking about --- my mother, I mean, she's that friend of yours, right? The one with the Nullifying Alice?"

"Yes, Mikan."

"When I first came to the Academy, did you know I was her daughter? I mean, Aoshi-san did say that I looked just like her."

We stopped walking. Narumi-sensei grasped my shoulders. "You've gotten taller, Mikan," he joked. Then his face turned serious. "I can't say I was completely oblivious to that fact, Mikan. Yes, I knew and back in my days at the Academy, I loved your mother very much. She was my best friend."

He stroked my hair and smiled tenderly. "Listen, Mikan. You're not your mother nor are you your father. You don't always have to take sides. You should do what you feel is right but there's no need to rush through it; there's plenty of time. Remember that you can always talk to your friends when you need help and I'll always be here to see you through the good and bad times. Don't let the past get you down. You should smile and look forward to your future."

I ignored the pain swelling in my chest and swallowed the lump in my throat.

I hugged Narumi-sensei, throwing him off-guard.

"I love you, Dad."

\\\\\

Narumi-sensei let me sleep through my morning classes. He woke me up in time for lunch.

And, like a little kid being sent off to school, I ran out of his house shouting and waving, "Bye, Dad!" and he was sticking his head out of the window waving back happily. "Be a good girl on your first day of school!"

After today, I was definitely getting the hand of battling the pain the device inflicted on me every time I felt an inappropriate emotion.

Surely Urumi would know what I've been up to today and she'd punish me for it later.

I put my mask back in place as I approached student-infested territory. I walked calmly around the campus, looking for Kenta. I was going to ask him to go to Central Town with me after classes.

I stopped and suddenly remembered Hotaru. She seemed pleased to see me earlier that morning, not at all angry. I should invite her instead.

"I heard Mikan's back at the Academy."

I hid behind a wall at that. Someone was talking about me?

"That's great news for Hotaru! You know she hasn't spoken to anyone, not even Iinchou, ever since Mikan left. Maybe she'll start letting others come into her lab again too."

Hotaru? Shutting herself away from the world? And because of me?

I slowly backed away from the wall I was hiding behind. The sun was high in the sky and I wanted to find Hotaru to verify this.

A soft gasp escaped my lips as a pair of strong arms encircled me from behind. A male voice huskily whispered in my ear, "Why didn't you tell me you were back?"

The arms suddenly released their hold on me and spun me around, pinning my back against a tree.

"I'm not an idiot. I knew it was you last night."

Locks of raven hair fell into a pair of intense, ruby red eyes.

_It was Natsume_.

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**To be continued...**

I feel bad for taking so long to update, really. I'll try to post chapter four by today as well! I'll write as much as I can before I have to go back to school on Monday.

Reviews please!


	4. First Blood

I'M BACK! 

Wahahaha. I really love all the reviews my beloved readers have given me! I wish I had the time to reply to each and every one! I know I promised to post this chapter yesterday but my mom had to drag me off for a party at her colleague's house and I had a rotten time there.

To **QUEENEYZ**, I promise next chapter will go more in-depth with Mikan's feelings. **SAKURA0038**, I so hate that device thing too! I can't wait to get rid of it, really.

**Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice belongs to Higuchi Tachibana. **

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**Two Quarters And A Heart Down  
4: First Blood**  
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"_I'm not an idiot. I knew it was you last night."_

For the second time that day, I felt like a complete and utter moron.

I was in my school uniform during the mission and it was common knowledge that, besides my mother, I was the only Nullifying Alice that had been permitted to enrol in the Academy. Moreover, the most obvious indications of my Alice's abilities were in full swing last night.

Making sure my poker face was held firmly in place, I studied his features while thinking of a way to respond to the situation.

Natsume still had his tanned complexion and his crimson eyes still spoke volumes of paradoxes --- a warm, burning passion encased in icy aloofness. I noticed that he had dark circles under his eyes. Wasn't he getting enough sleep? Was he doing too many missions? I felt a pang in my chest as I quickly dismissed the concern his dismayed features stirred in me.

I noticed that his cheekbones had become more prominent as well.

Natsume's jaw clenched and unclenched. He was impatiently waiting for a reply.

Natsume was a good head taller than me, and because he was pinning me against a tree, he was blocking the glare of the afternoon sun for me and I felt grateful to take shelter in his shadow.

From the light filtering through the tree's canopy, shadows concealed part of Natsume's face. The shade softened the angry glow of inquisition in his eyes.

This made it a little easier for me to look him in the eye.

Denial was the first thing that came to mind but I quickly dismissed it; denying the obvious would only strengthen his case against me.

I settled for the next best thing.

I laughed. It sounded hollow and cold even to my own ears. "So you caught me," I said nonchalantly as though we were merely discussing the weather. My voice took on a gentler, even loving, tone, which I surprised myself with. "It's nice to see you again, Natsume."

I placed a hand on his left arm and it immediately fell limp by his side. "_It's really nice_."

His ruby red eyes widened in shock and sadness. It was hard to tell which emotion was stronger.

I began walking away from him.

"Goodbye," I called out softly, not bothering to turn around or wave.

Sadness or astonishment? Both emotions were in tumult in his scarlet irises. I knew why though.

I hadn't smiled once.

\\\\\

I forgot to look for Hotaru during lunch break and Misaki-sensei, her Technical Type teacher-in-charge, had called her out of afternoon classes to discuss matters about her latest invention. Apparently, one of her many investors was already looking into manufacturing the prototype.

Natsume and Ruka weren't in class A or had skipped afternoon classes so I didn't have to face another difficult confrontation.

Sumire and Yuu were in class A but they didn't give me a hard time. My seat in class A was right next to the door, which meant I was beside Iinchou. He tried talking to me for a while but after just glancing at him and replying in one-liners, he took the hint and backed down.

Sumire was a different story altogether. Knowing her personality, her claws were out and ready to demand an explanation but thank goodness Yuu managed to calm her down and steer her away from me.

I wasn't in the clear yet as I knew Sumire would still try and get something out of me.

Yura Otonashi, the fortune-teller, was also in class A. She gave me a knowing look when I walked out of the classroom to look for Kenta in the second-year classrooms.

I didn't want to go to Central Town alone so I waited for Kenta after classes and asked him to go with me.

Kenta held my hand as we walked. I didn't really mind it; it was rather comforting, actually. At this rate, the only people I could actually be comfortable with from now on were Kenta and Hotaru, if she didn't start prodding too much, that is.

"Come on," he said, leading me to a café. "Let's get a bite to eat."

I propped my chin on my elbow and watched students pass by the café shop window. Students, be them in elementary, middle or high school divisions, walked throughout Central Town with looks of glee on their faces. They walked in large groups or in pairs; I never saw a loner out there.

I snapped out of my reverie as a waitress set a plate of chocolate cake in front of me.

Kenta grinned at me from across the table, fork poised in the air to snag a chunk of his strawberry cheesecake. "You're drooling, sweetie."

I grinned back at him. "Yeah, well, after today I definitely deserve some chocolate."

He swallowed a morsel of his cake and waved his fork nonchalantly. "Harsh confrontations?"

"Yeah," I rolled my eyes. "And to make it worse, Urumi cornered me this morning and forced one of those blasted devices on me."

Kenta choked on his cake. After a quick gulp of his juice he spat out, "No way. Even I don't have to wear those any more."

I calmly explained to him how my emotions were directly linked to the effects of my Alice. Last night, for example, I never meant to make it a physical effect. I also told him about the "big meeting" with Yuki Aoshi a.k.a. the headmaster a.k.a. my biological father.

I haven't talked that much in a long while so I gulped down my juice as Kenta banged his fist on the table. "No way!" he exclaimed again, venting out my anger for me. "That bastard. At least Narumi understands."

A grateful smile escaped my lips as I felt a stinging sensation tingle over my heart. "Well at least you understand too, Kenta."

His sky blue eyes twinkled at me. I shuddered inwardly --- his pale silver hair and pale blue eyes were hauntingly beautiful.

"I know. Let's spend the 5000 rabbits he gave you on something nice. Buy yourself a little welcome back present. No, make that a _big_ welcome back present."

"Well, I still have to buy my _necessities_ first, Kenta," I stated listlessly. "You have to help me choose clothes."

A look of horror struck his features. "No way," he grunted, for the third time in the space of half an hour. "You only told me to accompany you to buy clothes. You never said anything about having to give my opinion on which… sundresses or shorts or…"

I finished the last piece of my cake. "Lingerie store's up first."

He glared at me. "No way."

I sighed and stood up. "You say 'no way' _way_ too much. Fine, you can wait outside the lingerie store," I conceded to his bemoaned expression. "But only for the lingerie store."

He made a face at me and I snorted with laughter --- the giddy delight that I'd been trying to suppress reared its ugly head.

My snorting and muffled laughter caused several café patrons to look in our direction. I nearly fell over if I didn't grab onto the chair to support myself. Burning sensations flared up in my chest again as I struggled to recompose myself.

Kenta helped me get up and steadied my shaking shoulders. Concern soaked his blue eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I forgot about the blasted control device." He used my own words to refer to the dolphin-shaped mark.

Kenta put a very serious face on in an attempt to bemuse me.

But it only made me laugh harder.

\\\\\\\

I managed to get my shopping done when Kenta hoisted my body onto his shoulder and ran out to dunk my head in the fountain. That sure did the trick; I sobered up immediately.

We walked in silence for the rest of the trip and I quickly got what I needed. I left Kenta with the task of buying me some casual clothing whilst I got shoes and underwear (_not the polka-dot kind_).

We got back with half an hour to shower before dinner was served. When I undressed, I was shocked to find that the skin around the mark was bruised. It was an ugly mix of purple and red and it hurt when I touched it. I bandaged it after my shower.

At the dining hall, I spotted Hotaru and sat opposite her. The only words exchanged between us were hellos.

Both our faces were emotionless and we were silent throughout the meal. I noticed that the rest of the students from our year were sitting a good three or four chairs' distance away from us.

I wondered if Natsume and Ruka were eating dinner. I remembered that they never did eat much in elementary school. Also remembering his thin frame, I hoped that Natsume wasn't skipping dinner.

I was careful not too think too deeply about past incidents as I did not want to aggravate the device.

However, for peace of mind, I was about to use my Alice to look for the fire and animal boys. I needn't bother in the end because the two aforementioned teenagers plonked their dinner trays right beside us.

Silence ensued in the dining hall as Natsume took a seat beside me and Ruka sat beside Hotaru, who was raising her eyebrow at the intrusion.

It was the first time I saw Ruka in six years. He seemed to be doing well and aside from getting taller of course, his facial features were exactly the same though he no longer looked like a child.

I could feel Natsume burning imaginary holes in my body as I flicked my peas around my plate. My poker face was held in place.

He opened his mouth to say something and I tensed at that. I was tired and I definitely wasn't up for his interrogation.

Thank Kami-sama for Kenta, though.

He noisily clambered up to our table, holding a bouquet of daisies in his arms and looking sheepish. He thrust the bouquet at me, which I accepted with confusion as well as gratitude for his intrusion.

He looked at the floor and put an arm behind his head, looking much like a naughty schoolboy.

"Kenta, what's this for?" I prodded softly.

"For today, at Central Town," he said, sorry written all over his face. "I'm really sorry, Mikan. I can't believe I forgot about the control –"

I quickly shushed him lest my old friends know about the cursed mark and let a small smile tug my lips. "Thank you, Kenta. I forgive you." I pulled him into sitting in the chair next to mine. "Sit. Eat with us."

He glanced nervously at Natsume. I was sure he was glaring daggers at his mission partner. "I-I couldn't."

I could almost see little swirly objects in his eyes as he frantically searched his mind for an excuse to get away from the fire boy. He was sweating and I realised that Natsume was making the room temperature rapidly increase. Annoyed, I nullified Natsume's Alice and the room got cooler almost immediately. I heard Natsume grunt in annoyance.

Kenta looked ecstatic all of a sudden. Grinning, he said, "I heard Hiro's coming tonight. I'm gonna go meet him now."

Hey, that was good news for me too.

"I'm coming with you," I said, standing up.

"No," he said quickly. _Too quickly_. "Uh, I mean, you just saw him, what, a couple of days ago? I haven't seen him in a bloody three months. Guys gotta bond, ya know?"

I sighed and sat back down. Swishing my water in my cup, I felt all eyes on me.

"Who's Hiro?" Natsume's gruff voice broke the silence. Chatter started again in the dining hall.

"A friend," I stated simply. I then thought of how Hiro's kind amber eyes and soft, generic black hair reminded me of Kaname-sempai. Hiro was always the one who helped nurse me back to health when I got injured or sick. "A very good friend," I decided.

Natsume grunted in response. Leaving his steak untouched, he got up. "I'm not hungry any more. Come on, Ruka, let's go."

Ruka's fork stopped in mid-air. Natsume saw the chunk of broccoli Ruka had stabbed with his fork, and, for some unfathomable reason, glanced at Hotaru. "Never mind, stay there. I'll see you later."

Ruka didn't try to follow Natsume or convince him to stay, much to my surprise.

Ruka smiled warmly at me and tried to make small talk.

"Long time no see, Mikan."

I nodded in response. He gulped.

"So, where've you been these past six years?"

I placed a finger on my chin as I thought how to best answer that question. Might as well be truthful.

"On an island."

"Oh."

I shovelled the rest of my food in my mouth and drank the last of my water.

"Goodnight," I said, gathering my tray and bouquet.

I put my tray in the kitchen for the robot matron to wash. Then I headed to my room for some well-deserved sleep.

\\\\\

I swore I saw something move outside my window.

I dismissed it though, believing my mind was just playing tricks on me.

I stepped out of the T-shirt and shorts I had worn for dinner, leaving me clad in only my plain pink panty. I wasn't wearing a bra because I bound my chest with bandages.

I gasped when a cold wind rushed into my room and I realised that someone had entered through the window. I clutched my pyjama top to my chest and faced the intruder.

It was Natsume.

He gathered me in an embrace and buried his head in my hair, inhaling my scent. I felt tears well up in my eyes.

I couldn't take it any more.

That's why I did it.

I kissed him.

\\\\\\

**To be continued...**

Reviews please!

Oh, and I'm going back to school tomorrow so updates will be slower... Please don't give up on me!


	5. Ordinance

You know, I really should stop making promises. It's too early to go in-depth with Mikan's emotions (I have something else planned for her muahahaha) and yes, I realised I was rushing things with the kiss but -points to little memo in brackets- so ignore whatever notes I made in the last chapter, aside from thanking the readers of course, I really do appreciate and love you all! 

At least I'm getting rid of the device in this chapter! Oh, and this might be a little... fluffy...

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**Two Quarters And A Heart Down  
5: Ordinance**  
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When I realised what I had just done, I broke the kiss and pushed Natsume away, breathing hard.

"Get out of here!" I screamed, pulling the pyjama top over my head. "Get out of here."

I didn't look up until I heard my room door snap shut.

I locked the door then collapsed on my bed, clutching my chest. I was burning up and my whole body was in pain.

Kami-sama, what did I just do? 

Screw sleep, I decided.

Jamming on a blue sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, I made my way out of the dormitory building.

I knew it had been only one, and _very long_, day but I couldn't take it any more. The damned device and the Alice Academy atmosphere just didn't, _couldn't and will never_ mix!

Things were different back on the island.

Back on the island, whenever you had an emotionless face or looked upset, no one tried to cheer you up or make you laugh because everyone knew the reason why. They didn't try to make a difference because they knew that you'd be looking and feeling the same way for a long time. It was no use convincing the trainers to stop hurting them or to take the Emotion Controls away. They'd only hurt the person you're trying to protect more or punish you.

They had all the power and we were just prisoners; pawns for them to play with in a game.

In the Academy, no one knew what had happened to you. I doubt anyone ever knew of Emotion Controls either.

In the Academy, most people were _normal_. Their lives weren't tainted and they weren't forced to witness the horrors of humanity.

In the Academy, people expected you to be like them, just like society.

Society only accepted you if you were like the majority. They didn't like most individualists or those different from them. We were ostracised.

I remembered Akira Mitsuhara and Tokiya Morita, old friends sucked in by the Black Hole.

They were very close friends and, when the atmosphere allowed it, we often joked about how the two boys would get married one day.

Tokiya's Alice enabled him to turn his body into steel. Akira's Alice let him conjure up caltrops out of nothing, trapping enemies in one place.

Once, during a training session, Tokiya's trainer was experimenting on the different types of attacks and weapons his steel body could defend against. The trainer ambushed Tokiya and attempted to wound him, to find out how fast he could react to the situation.

Tokiya couldn't react fast enough and he lost his right arm that day.

Akira was furious. It was most unfortunate that that boy had a strong belief in the "eye for an eye" policy.

You can guess what happened next.

Akira didn't win and he lost more than just an arm or an eye.

And, when Tokiya found out his best friend had died, he slipped into an even deeper stupor of depression if that was even possible.

We tried to get him to eat, to talk, to get out of the creaky old bed he had found shelter in but we gave up after three days. I remembered offering to hang the clothes for him when laundry duty came round, seeing as he couldn't do much with just one arm. But, like all the others' attempts, mine was futile.

Tokiya had lost the will to live and there was nothing we could do about that. He became a vegetable; an empty shell of a boy. His soul had long since departed but his body was still alive.

The trainers decided that he was useless. They wanted to get rid of him --- they called it "taking out the trash"; when an Alice was no longer useful they'd just throw him away, like garbage.

I remembered with great contempt that it was Urumi's idea to toss him off a cliff on the island. "Let _it_ drown to death," she said.

Akira Mitsuhara and Tokiya Morita, ages thirteen. Best friends in life, best friends in death.

I stopped in front of the main building. The teachers had probably gone home by now and I had no idea where the headmasters went after hours but I prayed Aoshi-san was still in his office.

Emotion Controls, like most control devices, could only be taken off by the person who initially implemented it.

I knew it had only been one day but I just couldn't take it any more.

The Alice Academy reminded me too much of my old self, too many happy memories, too many old friends… I couldn't survive here with this device.

I was finally free of that wretched island, that plethora of despair. I came to the Academy looking forward to living an easier life, despite what my old friends ended up judging me with.

I didn't want to see death any more. I didn't want to feel lonely any more. I didn't want to feel _nothing_ any more.

Here I was at the Academy, surrounded by people but alone in my plight.

If I was going to confront Urumi, I needed some back-up, preferably a person of high authority. Who else other than Yuki Aoshi, Headmaster and the one who had a firm grip on Urumi's paycheck?

If there was one thing I learned about Urumi throughout the years, besides her sadistic amusement and tendency to become an object of hate, she was very materialistic. I don't know what kind of life she led outside of Alice-related matters nor whom she needed to support (and honestly I just don't care to know) but I did know that she would do anything for money.

No one stopped me on my way in. The hallways were brightly lit as I followed signs to the headmaster's office.

I stopped just short of my nose colliding with the wooden double doors. A gold plaque on the door screamed Headmaster, High School Division.

I could vaguely hear voices coming from the other side of the door. I knocked.

Once.

Twice.

The voices hushed.

Silence.

I felt cold sweat trickling down my neck and back. I was feverish and I shivered even though I was wearing long sleeves. I clutched my heart in pain. It was getting harder and harder to breathe.

I heard a thump as my body made contact with the polished marble floor.

I heard footsteps.

Then, nothing.

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_I squished dirty sand through my toes as I found myself in dreadfully familiar scenery._

_I ran on the sand and stepped on broken glass but my bare feet seemed to go through the shards. I stopped when I saw a little girl sobbing by the cliff, the same one the abominations rolled Tokiya over all those years ago._

_The little girl's shoulders were shaking dramatically and her long, brown tresses were mangled and matted. She was garbed in an oversized shirt and grimy shorts. _

_I peered at her face, which was covered in dirt and blotchy from tears. It was then that I realised that the girl in front of me was about thirteen years old. She only looked like a child because of her small frame. My eyes widened as I realised that the little girl was me._

_Then I remembered why I was crying._

_It was the first time I had gotten my period and I didn't know what to do. I didn't have a mother, sister, aunt or even grandmother to turn to for help. The only girl other than me on the island had passed away from pneumonia some time ago. I was too embarrassed to tell the boys; besides, what could they do about it anyway? There was only one person I could turn to._

_I watched the younger me get up and run to the trainer's hut._

_"Urumi!"_

A dream?

I opened my eyes but had to shut them almost immediately as the well-lit room blinded me.

"Mikan? Mikan!" a deep, male voice resonated throughout the room. It was laced with concern.

"Uhhn…" I struggled to sit up and a firm hand pushed me back down. I opened my eyes and realised I was in a recliner in the headmaster's office. "Aoshi-san?"

I swear I heard him wince when I referred to him so formally. Must be a hard blow; he _is_ my biological father after all.

I surveyed the room. Well, wouldn't you know, Persona and Urumi decided to drop a little visit to the headmaster as well.

What caught my attention was _my_ blue sweatshirt draped over a chair on the other side of the room. The bandages were still in place and a blanket was draped over me to preserve my modesty.

Aoshi-san saw the frantic look in my eyes. "We found you unconscious outside my office," he began to explain slowly. His voice took on a soothing tone. "You were burning up then we noticed you were clutching your heart in pain. We unzipped your jacket and found that blood was soaking through your bandages." He took a breath.

"We got a nurse to come in and have a look at you," he continued, waving his hand dismissively in the air. "The area around your heart was bloody and blotchy. A disgusting sight, really. Also," he glared at Urumi, "there was a metal chip attached to your skin."

"An Emotion Control device," I said weakly. "Urumi made me wear it. In fact, we all had to wear it back on the bloody island."

I was pleased and amused at the look of contempt on Aoshi-san's face. "I had Tenaka remove it." Tenaka was Urumi's surname. "Tenaka," he snarled, rounding on Urumi. "Such devices are _banned_ in the Academy."

Venom and sarcasm were laced in Urumi's deadly calm voice. "But we _weren't_ in the Academy during the six years' training, sir. And these devices are no different from the discipline marks and Alice control devices you make your own students wear."

"But she was wearing the device _in the Academy_. We all saw it. Moreover, these devices are different as they were made by the Anti-Alice Organisation and distribute more pain than necessary." He indicated my bandages.

I sat up a little straighter at this. Those damn objects were made by the AAO? But weren't we training to fight for the Academy?

"Besides," Aoshi-san said exasperatedly. "Mikan is only a teenager. You can't stop _teenagers_ from _feeling_. In fact, denying an individual of their emotions is just _inhumane_."

I was a little surprised at that. I was seeing a side of Aoshi-san that I hadn't seen, nor ever expected to see, earlier that day. Was this his, dare I say it, _fatherly_ side?

Urumi's face was listless. "Yes, sir," she drawled, bored as ever.

"Persona," my father said, rubbing his temples. "Get this woman out of my office. Punish her as you see fit."

"My pleasure," Persona's silky voice wafted through the air.

I didn't get a chance to sneak a peek at Urumi's face as the two abominations left the office so quickly.

"Now," my father turned to me, "I couldn't help but notice you saying 'bloody island'."

I nodded. To where was this leading?

"Six years' training on a plethora of wretchedness; a dumpy little island in the middle of nowhere," I spat out bitterly.

Concern once again soaked his deep emerald irises. He softly urged me to tell him more about the worst years of my life.

Seeing this new side of the headmaster, I truly felt like he really was my father. So I told him more.

At the end of it all, he sighed and shook his head. "I just don't understand," he muttered, more to himself. "We didn't design the training programme to be so… morbid. Perhaps that person's behind all this…"

"Father?"

He snapped from his reverie and smiled sadly at me. "I'll look into matters as soon as possible, I promise, Mikan."

His eyes widened when he noted the difference in the way I referred to him. Man, this guy was sharp. "You called me father," he said softly, almost disbelievingly.

I shrugged. "Well, you _are_ my father."

"I _am_ your father," he reiterated. His face broke into a wide smile. "And you're _my _daughter."

I couldn't help but smile back. I was finally free of the damned device! I know it had only been one day but it felt like an eternity to me. I was inwardly rejoicing; I had gotten rid of the cursed mark, gotten Urumi into a crapload of trouble and I had found a father in the headmaster after all. What was the phrase --- killing three birds with one rock?

"I'm your daughter."

"You are mine. And I am yours."

"I'm yours and you're mine."

"I am yours and you are mine. We are father and daughter, Mikan, bound by blood." He knelt by my side and squeezed my hand. "Don't be afraid to tell me anything, Mikan. I may be the headmaster but I am your father first and foremost."

It could have been a very nice father-daughter bonding moment if it weren't for the gunshots.

Screams were heard as the nearest dormitory was set on fire.

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**To be continued...**

Reviews please! I really wish I have the time to reply to each and every one of you but each review really does mean a lot to me!

So... next chapter there will be someone ... and Mikan will ... and Natsume will ...

I can't wait to write the next chapter but it's nearly midnight here and I have to wake up early tomorrow for school.

'Til the next chapter, reviews please!


	6. Propaganda

AAAAH! I'M BACK I'M BAAAAACK! Wahahaha.

Thank you for all your wonderful reviews! -bows- I was so touched when one reviewer said that they cried for Mikan! And I'm really glad that a lot of you hate Urumi! I created her solely for that purpose ehehehe. Alright, this long-awaited chapter may not make many readers very happy so I'm ready for flames...

Oh, and I'm considering starting the second part of _The Baka's Guide_ series, which is _The Baka's Guide To Dating A Teenage Superhero_ but I'm currently in a dilemma. I need suggestions on a wacky superhero name for Natsume! Ahahaha.

**Disclaimer: Oh dear. I forgot to put the disclaimer in the last chapter but seriously, WHAT IS EVEN THE POINT! Gakuen Alice is the brainchild of Higuchi Tachibana-sama, whose manga I can't seem to get hold of in Singapore... If anyone knows where/how to get the GA manga in Singapore, let me know, onegai! Arigatou!**

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**Two Quarters And A Heart Down**  
**6: Propaganda  
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I broke out of the dense forest and gasped for air, bending and grasping my knees for support.

My blue sweatshirt clung to my body and dripped heavy with sweat. Brushing my damp bangs out of my eyes, I straightened my body and turned my attention to the inferno before me.

The glaring, furiously blazing fire currently consuming the smooth, white walls and the brick red shingles of the Elementary Division dormitory caused me to squint as I tried to identify its source. The heat made me sweat even more.

_Please don't let it be Natsume…_

"Mikan!"

A breathless Aoshi-san joined me in my optical pursuit of the firestarter. The rising flames bathed our surroundings in orange, creating an unworldly atmosphere. His blue tie was askew and he hastily unbuttoned his thick blazer and threw it to the ground. I couldn't blame him though, it was _scorching_.

My father's emerald eyes narrowed dangerously. "Where are the students?" he whispered, barely audible above the crackling fire. "Come, Mikan. Let us search."

I nodded and followed him, my head whipping around for signs of students in the vicinity. There were none.

My long hair uncomfortably stuck to my neck. Something wasn't right in this picture: the dormitory was on fire yet there were no screams and no evacuees. No rescuers either.

All was silent; only the furious crackling of the fire feasting on the building could be heard.

I voiced my worries out to my father. He stopped walking and I banged into him. Geez, couldn't he at least warn me first before stopping like that!

I closed my eyes and rubbed my nose, wincing slightly. When I looked up, I saw my father staring at something behind me, his eyes wide with shock and his jaw set tight with grim foreboding.

"Mikan," his voice wavered. "Run."

But it was too late to warn me.

Hello, darkness. NOT.

Before the diabolical man in a black tuxedo and shades (seriously, who wear _sunglasses _in the _night_?) could elbow me in my cranium to knock me out, I ducked and kicked his legs, knocking him to the ground.

I quickly flipped him over and pulled his wrists firmly behind his back. I grinded my right knee into his spine, causing him to grit his teeth in pain.

Aoshi-san (it still feels weird to call him "my father") whipped out a pocket knife and pressed it to his throat. "Who sent you?" he demanded, his voice calm but volumes of unspoken threats resonated in the air. "What have you done to my students?"

When the man in black didn't answer, Aoshi-san pressed the knife even closer to his throat. A small trickle of blood spurted out.

Ouch. Nasty.

"Relax, Headmaster," an eerily familiar voice drawled. "Your elementary students have all been evacuated. They're all safe."

"Tenaka!"

My father looked furious. He glared at the abomination and pressed the knife even harder. I glared at Urumi but I was careful not to loosen my grip on my would-be attacker's arms.

"I believe I have relieved you of your duties for this evening, Tenaka," my father stated.

"Sir, I am well aware of that," Urumi drawled again. "However, when I saw this building on fire, I immediately took action and helped with the evacuation. You wouldn't want any of your precious students to die, yes?"

"Is this an attempt to redeem yourself, Tenaka?" My father's sarcasm rivalled Urumi's. "The dormitory only became ablaze shortly after you left. You've not the Alice of Speed therefore I do not believe you could have rescued my students so swiftly."

Score! The look of glee erupting on my face was hard to conceal.

My grip loosened and Shades-san threw me off his back. I screamed and landed hard on my butt.

Shoot, I let him get away!

Before I could get up and pursue him, a dark figure dropped out of a nearby tree and pacified Shades-san. AKA Persona knocked him out.

"Aoshi-dono," he nodded, slumping the hapless man in black against a tree. "Sakura-dono. I'll take care of things here." By "things" he meant Urumi. "Forgive my moment's ignorance when this woman slipped my grasp."

Aoshi-san nodded and pocketed his knife.

"You," he rounded on Urumi, "where are the students?"

Urumi inclined her head slightly towards the forest. "By the big sakura tree. Some older students are taking care of them."

Aha! So she definitely wasn't the one who rescued them! Not like I expected her to do something like that anyway.

Aoshi-san nodded and took my hand. "Let's go see them, Mikan. I believe Narumi should be there too."

Just like what the horrible woman said, the students were all gathered around the sakura tree. The same sakura tree Natsume liked to hang around in…

The sound of laughing and crying children filled the air. I looked around and saw the distinct silver hair and olive green eyes amongst the sea of children.

Youichi would be nine now. He didn't look like he had grown much though.

A little girl who ran past tripped and her crying immediately snapped me out of my reverie. I ran to her side and helped her up. "Are you okay?"

Aoshi-san saw our situation and held the crying girl. "Sssh, it's okay," he softly assured the girl. His voice was soothing and fatherly. "You're a strong girl, right? You won't cry any more, right?"

I wasn't wearing the Emotion Control any more but I felt a sharp pang in my chest as I watched the two of them.

The girl was about six years old with violet hair. Her eyes were tinted a light pink.

She stopped crying and gazed at Aoshi-san. "Waaaaaii!" she suddenly exclaimed. "Sugoi, you look just like Papa!" She squealed in delight and flung her arms around _my_ dad. "Waaaaii! Papa came to Alice Academy just for me! Papa's the best! I love Papa!"

I narrowed my eyes.

Aoshi-san looked like a little lost sheep. His green eyes pleaded me for help but I merely looked away and crossed my arms. My cheeks puffed out a little. Hn. It's not my problem. He has to deal with her himself.

"Uhhh…" he laughed nervously.

But I didn't miss that look in his eyes.

One of astonishment and happiness.

Was he glad that a complete stranger referred to him as her father?

I stalked off, looking for the older students Urumi said were taking care of the little brats. I wasn't jealous. I _wasn't_.

Hands on my hips, I walked (okay, more like _stomped_) around the area, sidestepping the annoying midgets that ran around playing tag. All the movement of the little kids made me feel like I was in an ant colony and sure enough, I started feeling thousands of imaginary ants crawling under my skin.

Shuddering, I turned around and spotted Hotaru, visibly taller than all the others.

"Hotaru," I said upon reaching her. "What happened?"

"Fire," she simply stated, pointing at the orange glow in the distance. "I was walking back to my room from the lab when I saw the dorm catch fire."

"How'd it start?" I asked.

"You can ask him," she said and pointed at a figure slumped against the sakura tree's large trunk. "Now if you excuse me, the fire's getting worse and I have to put it out before it spreads to the forest."

And she walked away with her water-storing elephant invention trailing behind her. Sure enough, I could see big balls of fire spewing off the top of the burning building, like lava bombs spewing out of a volcano during an eruption.

I glanced at the figure under the sakura tree. He was partially obscured by the shadows but I saw the unmistakable gleam of ruby red where his eyes should be.

"Oh, hi, Mikan," Ruka said. I was so distracted by the foreboding sense of dread that I didn't even notice him approach.

"Ruka-pyon!" I exclaimed. I was truly happy Ruka was around. I even started calling him by the suffix I had given to him all those years ago. With him around, I could buy some time before Natsume approached me regarding that kiss…

"Hey, have you seen Imai?"

"Hotaru?" I cocked my head to the side. "Yeah. She just left a little while ago to put out the fire."

"Thanks," he said and hurried off in the direction Hotaru went.

"No! Ruka-pyon!" I screamed, flailing my arms wildly. "Don't leave me alone!"

I was about to chase after him but a sea of toddlers blocked my path. Gah, curse those snivelling brats!

I sensed Natsume's presence leave the sakura tree's shadow and approach me. I tensed. I was afraid to turn around.

"Don't move," he said. He didn't sound angry…

I felt his fingers brush lightly against my hair. When he drew back, a small, yellow flower was in his hand. He held it out to me, palm open and I took it tentatively. Then, he began to walk away.

I closed my eyes and felt a sudden urge to call out to him… to reach for him… to hold his hand…

"Natsume! Wait!" I cried out. He stopped and his shoulders stiffened. He was still in uniform and his hands were stuffed in his pocket.

I shifted from foot to foot. The world seemed to consist of only him and me now. The voices of the children seemed to fade away as well.

You could have cut the tension in the air with a knife.

I looked skywards at the moon and at all its round, silver glory. I closed my eyes, took a breath and closed the distance between us.

I collided with his body but his legs didn't buckle. I clutched his right arm and pressed it against my own body.

"Natsume… You didn't start the fire, right?"

Silence.

"Mikan," he began. His voice was hoarse. "I wish I could tell you it wasn't me but then I'd be lying to you."

I tightened my grip on his arm. I found a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

"It's okay, Natsume," I said softly. I breathed in his scent. "If it's you, then I'm sure there's a good reason. You never do anything for no reason at all."

I still couldn't see his face but I swore I felt him smiling. He just seemed to have a happy aura around him…

Or maybe that was just wishful thinking.

"Six years ago I told you not to poke your stupid head into my business," Natsume said. His voice sounded cold and harsh.

"Natsume?" I asked. I loosened my grip on his arm. My instincts were screaming at me to get away from him.

But too late.

I felt a powerful Alice activate the same time Natsume tackled me to the ground.

The surrounding area seemed to ripple as I felt a strong barrier engulf the makeshift refugee site. No one could get in and no one could get out.

The children started screaming again.

My attention reverted back to Natsume as I felt both his arms clasp my neck.

"You got too close to me, little girl," he hissed. He was grinning widely and a manic glint infested his crimson pupils.

"_Now, you die._"

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**To be continued...**

Reviews are much loved and much appreciated!

If I can, I'll update later tonight too.


	7. Assimilation

Yay another update!

Thanks to the reviewers who suggested potential manga prospects! No, I'm not Singaporean, I'm Filipino! My grandma's part Chinese though. I've been living in Singapore for quite a while now. Any Filipino readers out there? If you're from Assumption College, particularly in high school now, then, hey, I might remember you haha! Hmm. Well in Singapore, I am once again stuck in an all-girls' school -sigh- but it's okay. I have two strange older brothers so I can "observe" their odd boy habits...

Anyway, I meant to make this chapter a little longer but if I did, it'd stretch way too much so I've decided to reveal the "vital information" next chapter. My aim for this story is 19 chapters! Yes, that was random...

**Disclaimer: Gakuen. Alice. Not. Mine. -sobs in the corner-**

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**Two Quarters And A Heart Down**  
**7: Assimilation  
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Gritting my teeth, I summoned all my strength to loosen the death grip Natsume had on my windpipe. Was he really going to choke me to death?!

I closed my eyes and gasped; a desperate attempt to get air.

No good. Natsume was too strong for me.

"MIKAN!"

I had a fleeting glance at Natsume's shocked face before he was thrown off of me. He landed crudely on the grass a few feet away. Heaving and clutching my throat, I gazed at my rescuer. It was none other than Narumi-sensei.

His eyes slowly darted from me to Natsume, a frown gracing his feminine features. "Are you alright, Mikan-chan?" he asked, rubbing my back as I choked and spat.

I glared at him. Of course I'm not alright! "Ee, I was nearly strangled to death by the guy I like, _otou-san_," I said sarcastically. "Of course I'm fine! I'm peachy keen!"

Concern turned to indignation and finally delight as Narumi-sensei's eyes scrunched up in a devious smile. "Ah, so you do like Natsume-kun! Since when, Mikan-chan? Ooh, this is so exciting!"

Aoshi-san seemed to have noticed the commotion and rushed to my side, breaking through a crowd of curious elementary students that had gathered around Otou-san and I. "Mikan? What happened? Did that boy attack you?" He jabbed an accusing finger at Natsume, who was still sprawled on the ground. He seemed to be unconscious.

Ignoring my two fathers' protests, I walked to Natsume's limp form and gingerly touched his cheek with my fingertips. When I pulled away, a black, smoky substance extended from his cheek to my fingers. I gasped as the smoky tendrils curled around my hand. I shook it off and the smoke evaporated into nothingness.

That was when I felt it.

Another Alice.

It was a new vibe; an Alice I had never encountered before and, honestly, this scared me.

This Alice had a sinister, ominous feel to it and it seemed to manifest itself in the smoke that came from Natsume.

I knew Natsume would never attack me like that so this could only mean that the presence I felt was the Alice controlling him! But where was the source of the puppetry? My Alice territory's radius was about fifty metres. I checked out the Alices of everyone in my area but I couldn't find a match to the smoke's aura.

Was the person responsible for this controlling Natsume from afar? If so, then he had to have a territory like me. But how big was it? How far could he possibly be?

I bit my lower lip, my brows furrowing in thought. I wasn't very familiar with how Alice territories worked. I was the only one I knew who had a territory.

Could it be that the sinister Alice… wasn't an Alice? What if it was just an evil spirit?

I screamed inwardly. Baka baka baka… Don't think such things!

Then, I remembered the Barrier Alice that had been activated only a while ago. Not to mention Shades-san. I remembered that someone from the AAO had a Barrier Alice. Could they be behind all this mess?

Shoot. And it was just my first day back as well.

"Father? Narumi-sensei?" I got up and walked over to them, ignoring the stares from the children. _I'll be back for you, Natsume. I promise._

"What happened to Natsume-kun?" Narumi-sensei looked genuinely worried. Did he see the smoke?

My father waved a hand dismissively. "Never mind about that now, Narumi. Mikan, the barrier – ?"

I nodded sagely. "Ee. Dad, I think the Anti-Alice Organisation is behind all this."

"I see. Sure seems like it but where is the person who used the Barrier Alice?"

"I don't know. I'll use my Alice now to find him."

Aoshi-san grunted his approval.

The area the barrier had covered was really big so the user must be meting out a lot of power right about now. So that should make it easier for me to find him. But strangely enough, I couldn't seem to pinpoint his location.

Narumi-sensei frowned once more and his eyebrows furrowed. He looked upset. "But why would they want to capture our Elementary students…" he mused. Yeah, it's not like they've mastered their Alices or anything. Why would the AAO want to take in inexperienced, weak Alices?

Narumi-sensei gasped as grim realisation dawned on him. "No! They want to take the young ones to train them up… To teach them how to hate the Academy…"

"Utterly despicable!" my father concurred, looking considerably appalled.

Argh, I couldn't concentrate! The kids were too noisy and my two insinuating fathers didn't help very much. I walked about twenty metres away from the two men conspiring against the AAO's motives. Maybe if I moved, my territory might capture the offender…

But still, about ten or fifteen minutes had passed since the barrier went up. Surely the AAO would have acted by now, right? Most of the students noticed the barrier's presence and were crowding around some teachers. I guess the teachers arrived just before the barrier trapped us all.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

Thirty metres to my right, in a thick copse of shrubs and trees, an infuriatingly familiar Alice flared up.

_Voice Pheromone…_

I could sense Barrier there too.

There was no time to run back and warn Aoshi-san and Narumi-sensei so I made a beeline for the trees to stop that man from carrying out whatever plan he was going to execute.

However, as I caught a glimpse of unmistakable auburn hair and amethyst eyes amongst the trees, a gunshot grazed my cheek, leaving a bleeding scratch.

The man who had fired the gun was another AAO crony in a tux and shades. I was planning to disarm him until he fired two more shots near my feet, causing me to back away.

"Good girl," Shades-san 2 growled, his lips curling into an ugly sneer. "Stay there. Don't get in the way or next time, I won't miss." He aimed his gun at my head with his finger on the trigger. I gulped.

My heart was beating wildly and I was sweating like a pig. I bet my hair was all frizzy and poofy at the back while the rest of it clung damply like sea snakes onto my sweaty face and neck. I must've looked ridiculous.

The only consolation I had was that the gunshot was pretty loud. After it was fired, the children became relatively quieter aside from a few screams. Aoshi-san and Narumi-sensei surely would have heard that too. They'd be coming to my side any minute now… Narumi-sensei would brandish a bean whip he had stolen from Misaki-sensei's greenhouse and destroy the guns and punish the bad guys… I don't know what my father could do but he could whip out his knife again and capture the goons.

Just please, don't use the Voice Pheromone Alice.

If _he_ did use it on all these people, then I don't know if I can save everyone… It's a really big area to cover and I'm tired…

So… so… so… tired.

I had a long day.

No more.

I'm tired.

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This is what I remembered before blacking out.

Narumi-sensei was running towards us and screaming, "No, Reo!"

Aoshi-san was heading for me, calling my name as I staggered and swayed from fatigue. Then, Shades-san 2 aimed the gun at him.

I raised my arm to try and stop him but I was powerless.

Then, the gun was set on fire.

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I felt that only mere moments after I closed my eyes and embraced the darkness, someone was holding me by my shoulders and furiously shaking me awake.

My eyes fluttered open immediately and a blurry image of Natsume appeared before me.

The black smoke from before seemed to engulf him then it disappeared completely. Then, it reappeared, framing his body and disappeared once more. Was I hallucinating?

I blinked a few times and stared. The smoke was gone.

"You idiot," Natsume growled, looking pained, "don't just stare at me like a moron. Stop Reo."

My body stiffened and I broke out of his grasp. To my left, Narumi-sensei was slumped on the ground with his right arm cradling his left forearm. Blood oozed out of a wound. Kami-sama, he was shot! Aoshi-san was in front of him, fending off Shades-san 2 and Shades-sans 3 and 4. Shades-san 2 had a swollen hand, probably from when Natsume (I presumed it was him) regained consciousness and used his Fire Alice. Either Shades-san 3 or 4 must've shot Narumi-sensei.

I could still feel the Barrier Alice but none of the men trading blows with my father had it.

"Students and faculty of the Alice Academy," Reo boomed, abnormally loud. He was perched on a tall tree branch overlooking the people in the area, standing upright and pressing his left palm against the trunk for support. In his right hand was a microphone. "The Academy has been deceiving you…"

I glanced worriedly at the students and teachers. Most of the teachers were covering their ears, thank Kami-sama. But most of the students had glazed looks in their eyes, giving in to Reo's powerful Pheromone Alice. I looked at Natsume. His pupils were dilated and he was kneeling on the grass, sweating and panting heavily.

I didn't have enough energy to snap all the people who had conceded to Reo's Alice out of this trance so the best way to end this was to cut off the source: Reo himself.

Without a second thought, I charged at the tree and jumped off the trunk, gaining momentum to land on Reo's branch. He looked absolutely shocked at my sudden intrusion.

Before he could do anything else, I snarled and lunged at him, maxing out my Nullifying Alice.

A white light engulfed the two of us. Yes, that's it! I managed to temporarily cancel out his Alice!

My eyes widened as I realised I had knocked both of us off the branch and were now falling to the ground.

I closed my eyes to brace for the impact.

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Sunlight filtered my eyelids, causing me to literally see red. I tried not to think about what that colour reminded me of.

I stirred and opened my eyes to find myself in a white room. Concerned faces hovered around me.

I was in the hospital.

I sat up a little and thankfully, no one tried to push me back down. Aoshi-san adjusted my pillows so I could comfortably lean against them for support. I smiled gratefully at him. A faint blush crept up his cheeks.

I smiled weakly at the people in the room: Hotaru, Ruka, Kokoroyomi, Yuu and even Sumire.

But where were Natsume and Narumi-sensei? Wait, shouldn't Kenta and Hiro be here too?

"Narumi-sensei has already been treated," Yuu said gently. "He went to get us snacks."

"And Natsume?" I prodded. My voice sounded small and faraway.

The five of them exchanged uneasy glances.

"Where is he?" I demanded, my voice rising by a few octaves.

"Mikan, please calm down," Ruka tried to reason with me.

"Yeah, you idiot," Hotaru chided. "It's eight o'clock in the morning. Moreover, we're all skipping class just to see you so you could show a little more gratitude."

"Hotaru…"

"Mikan." I turned to my right where the doorway was. A boy with soft ebony hair and gentle-looking amber eyes was standing at the doorway.

"Hiro-kun!" I started. I was genuinely happy until I saw the grim expression on his face. "Hiro?"

He shook his head sadly and moved from the doorway, revealing Kenta. He wore a similar grave expression. My eyes roved to the young girl whose shoulders Kenta was firmly holding.

Kenta marched the girl in and turned her to face Aoshi-san. She had short, spiky black hair and ornery teal eyes. A perpetual scowl ruined her otherwise pretty face.

The girl was dressed in the red Elementary Division uniform. She was tall and skinny and looked about twelve years old.

"Mikan," Hiro said. "This is Chisa Mawako. She works for the Anti-Alice Organisation."

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**To be continued...**

Reviews are much loved and much appreciated!

Thanks for all the support you've been giving me for the past six chapters! I hope that you will continue reading and reviewing!

Hmm. So, what's this "black smoke" and "puppetry" business? What happened to Persona and Urumi? Why is an elementary schooler working for the AAO? All will be revealed in due time...

_Here's a little challenge: which song does the line "two quarters and a heart down" come from? And what is the name of the band that sang this song? The next chapter will be dedicated to the first person who can send in the correct answers! (oooh it's soooo easy, ne?)_


	8. To Be With The One You Love

As promised, this chapter is dedicated to **THE ONLY MRS MALFOY**! Yep, the correct answer is "Dance Dance" by Fallout Boy! Anyway, congratulations, winner! By the way, I took a look at your profile and by some freakish coincidence, I have a friend who's also "in love" with Draco Malfoy and her name's Kari too! Oh my. Hahaha.

Well, this is my longest chapter to date. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: All rights go to Higuchi Tachibana.**

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**Two Quarters And A Heart Down**  
**8: To Be With The One You Love  
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What?

"Why?" I asked softly, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion.

The girl visibly cringed from my incomprehension. "You want to know why!" she screamed, whirling her head to face me. I could see my lost, olive eyes twinkling in her furiously blazing teal ones.

"_I hate the Academy!_" she shrieked, shaking her head dramatically. She pointed an accusing finger at my father. "You people… You took everything away from me! The Academy deserves to be destroyed!"

I watched as her knees buckled and she buried her face in her hands, sobbing hysterically.

I wonder… what could the Academy have done to make this girl hate the school so much? I mean, I know that Natsume used to be really angry at the Academy too back when we were in elementary school but he was only mad at the adults; the higher-ups who manipulated him to do their bidding. He never directly wished doom on the Academy itself.

As for me, I can't say the last six years of my life have been very pleasant, either. My muscles ached just thinking about the training… But still, I don't regret any of that.

In the past, I genuinely enjoyed my time in the Academy. There were days that were so wonderful I never wanted them to end. I loved the people around me and even though I knew I wasn't allowed to write to Jii-chan, I was alright. The people and the atmosphere in the Academy just made me content about how the world was even though I had so many unfulfilled desires beyond the school boundaries.

Those things alone made me want to protect the Academy and everyone in it. That's why, every sullen day that I spent on that plethora of despair, I would deal with whatever hardships came my way because I knew I was there for a greater purpose in the future. I could use my Alice to protect others instead of just myself. I wouldn't be useless any more and I wouldn't be a burden to anyone! That's how I've managed to survive the time on the island.

Carefully, I swung my legs over the hospital bed and tentatively got up. Ouch ouch ouch… My whole body ached.

I glanced at the girl and my eyes widened in shock. I guess I must've activated my Alice in a natural retaliation to the pain because I felt…

"Barrier Alice?" I inquired uncertainly.

"Yeah, that's Chisa's Alice," Koko piped up. "She was the one who put up the barrier last night."

If possible, my eyes widened even more. "So that's why the barrier was put up so effectively… She was in the area… And she wasn't one of Reo's Shades-sans…"

Suddenly, I felt it again.

It was faint and only for a moment but I was certain of its erratic presence.

_The black smoke._

"Mikan," Aoshi-san spoke up quietly. "You felt it too, didn't you? The black smoke."

"Eh? You know about it - ?"

"It was here in the Academy grounds last night as well."

"What – "

"Mikan," my father's voice was deadly serious. "All of you," he gestured at everyone in the room, "there's something you all need to know. Mikan," he gazed down at me balefully. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. This is about our enemy."

"Our enemy? The Anti-Alice Organisation?" Yuu inquired.

"No, I'm afraid we're facing something even greater. That organisation is only a puppet for _that person_."

There it was again.

The black smoke… Stronger this time. I was sure of its presence. I could sense it in the next room, along with _Fire Alice_!

I threw the blankets off of me and sprinted to the door, ignoring my body's silent protest. "Mikan! Wait!" Ruka yelled.

I stopped at the doorway and looked at my father. "Tell me later, okay? I have to go see Natsume."

Aoshi-san nodded. "I understand."

I looked into his emerald eyes once more for confirmation before running down the hallway.

It was a promise.

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"Natsume!"

Panting, I barged open the door to Natsume's ward. He was on the hospital bed, an oxygen mask strapped to his face, no less. To make things even worse, his body was gleaming with sweat and his body was contorted in pain.

The presence of the black smoke was strongest here.

Kenta and Hiro came running behind me. "So the rumours were true…" Kenta conspired darkly. He eyed Natsume warily. "Kami-sama! The smoke!"

We stared in horror as a giant entity of black smoke swirled around Natsume, seemingly suffocating him.

"Wha… What is this?" Hiro asked no one in particular.

The whole room was engulfed in a sinister atmosphere. I felt raw, unadulterated fear clutch my heart and tears welled up in my eyes. What was happening to Natsume?

I didn't care if the black smoke was the result of another Alice or if it really was an evil spirit; I _had_ to save him! He would've done the same for me.

Cautiously, I approached Natsume's bed with resolve in my eyes. I glanced apprehensively at the swirling black tendrils and gripped Natsume's cold hand.

I closed my eyes and summoned the white light; the same white light that could dispel any Alice at my will.

The atmosphere significantly lightened up (literally) as the ominous presence was dispelled. I smiled warmly; ready to greet Natsume when he opened his eyes but it didn't look like he was going to do so any time soon.

I sat beside him on the bed, clutching his left hand to my chest. He was calmer now; he looked at peace with himself.

"Let's go, Hiro," I heard Kenta say.

"Hai, sempai," Hiro muttered before snapping the door shut.

I looked down at my body to find myself garbed in a white, knee-length, spaghetti-strapped dress. It was very pretty with embroidered flowers at the hem. Someone must've changed me out of the filthy sweats and jeans I wore last night.

I glanced at the thick sheet of sweat on Natsume's forehead and sighed. I looked around the room for a spare cloth but there was none. Oh well. If it was for Natsume, it was worth disposing of this dress.

I ripped off some of the soft white fabric, folded it and used it to gently dab at the sweat on Natsume's face. He was definitely going to get sicker if someone didn't dry him off.

After wiping his face and neck, I noticed the way his white T-shirt clung onto his chest because of the sweat. I told myself to get up and look for a new shirt for him but instead I found myself staring at his, um, torso.

I guess I was pretty, well, _engrossed_ because I didn't hear the door open until the "visitor" spoke up.

"My, my," a voice snapped me out of my trance-like state. "I don't remember assigning a nurse for Hyuuga-san."

Panicking, I whipped around, blushing furiously. "Um, um, gomen! I-I, ah, I'm a friend of his and I was just…" I trailed off as I recognised the man before me. I blushed even harder if that was possible.

Piercing lavender eyes and black hair. The man before me was definitely Hotaru's aniki. "Imai-san?" I glanced at his white coat and corrected myself. "Oh, I mean Imai-sensei. I didn't know you were working at the Academy hospital as a doctor. Thank you for taking care of Natsume-kun." I bowed politely.

"Sakura-san, right?" He walked past me and took out a thermometer from his coat pocket. A change of clothes was tucked under his arm. "With my Healing Alice, a doctor was the most promising career choice for me. I'll change Hyuuga-san's clothes." He noticed my eyes darting nervously between Natsume and the closed door. "It's okay. You can stay."

I relaxed and sighed in relief. I watched Subaru take Natsume's temperature and check his body for signs of ailments with glowing hands. I turned my back on them when I saw Subaru lift Natsume's shirt to change him.

"All done," Subaru said simply. "I'll go check on Narumi. That man isn't getting any younger and he shouldn't be running around the hospital like a spirited schoolgirl now." He stalked towards the door. As his hand rested on the doorknob, he turned around and looked me straight in the eye. "You need to rest too, Sakura-san." He added softly, "Please take care of Hyuuga-san."

"H-hai!" I acknowledged and bowed deeply to show my gratitude. Behind me, Natsume was stirring.

I sat beside him on the bed and waited for him to wake up but once again, he didn't. I guess he must've been really tired.

I stared at his cheekbones. Wasn't he eating enough? He had dark circles under his eyes too. He really deserved this time to rest so I made a mental note not to wake him up.

Subaru had removed Natsume's oxygen mask. His chest was steadily rising and falling to indicate that he was breathing normally.

As quietly as I could, I crawled under the covers and lay beside him.

I stared at his sleeping face. He looked so peaceful now, with his eyes closed and concealing the torment and anguish rampaging in his crimson irises; I don't think I'd ever seen him so content before.

His lips were parted slightly. I sighed. His lips…

I moved my body closer to Natsume and raised my head slightly to rest in the nook between his neck and shoulder. He stirred slightly and I giggled softly. Was my hair tickling him?

I closed my eyes and listened to his heartbeat.

When I kissed him last night… That wasn't the first time I tasted his lips.

I remember; it was Christmas Eve in my first year of the Academy. Everyone was going to start the countdown to open the presents soon and Natsume was nowhere in sight. I didn't want him to miss out on the occasion so I looked for him.

I found him sitting behind an enormous Christmas tree, isolated from everyone else. I sat beside him, opening my mouth to ask him to come join everyone else when he did it.

The same time everyone cheered and the fireworks exploded to indicate that it was officially Christmas, Natsume held my chin and placed his mouth over mine.

No mistletoe was above us nor did he ask for my permission to kiss me.

I had always considered Natsume a pervert, what with his incessant teasing about my panties, but when I felt his lips on mine…

His lips were so warm and the kiss was so innocent and child-like.

It was then that I discovered a new side of Natsume.

The very next day though, I was taken away to train.

How would I explain the kiss I gave Natsume last night? Maybe I was just starved for affection. Maybe I did it so I could find that side of Natsume again; to know it was really him to convince myself that yes, I was back at the Academy at long last.

How do I even explain how I feel about Natsume?

When he kissed me six years ago, was it supposed to mean that he liked me? It was the thing I thought about the most besides the prospect of returning to the Academy during my time on the Black Hole.

Whenever I thought about Natsume, my heart did loop-de-loops and sometimes I found my breath caught in my throat.

I knew I liked him… But how much did "like" extend to?

I wanted to be there for him always. I wanted to be the one he turned to when he was hurting inside. I wanted to be the one who eased his pain. I wanted to be the one whom he could talk to about anything. I wanted to be the one who comforted him; to make him feel better. I wanted to be the one whom he saved his smiles for; yeah, I wanted him to smile just for me.

I wanted to be the one who loved.

Love, huh?

What am I doing, thinking like this?

What did I know about love anyway?

I'm sixteen already but I know I'm clueless about matters of the heart.

I loved Jii-chan and I love Narumi-sensei (it's too early for me to decide whether I loved Aoshi-san) but I don't love Natsume that way. It was parental love.

I loved Hotaru but what I felt for Natsume… I wanted it to go beyond platonic love.

I like Natsume, right? But do I like him enough to love him?

Was I worthy of loving him? I wasn't just another fan girl, that's for sure. But… what did I want to be for Natsume?

I opened my eyes and saw him staring at me with those intense, calculating ruby gems of his.

A sob escaped my throat and tears spilled again. Baka, I don't even know why I was crying!

Natsume didn't say anything but embraced me; engulfed me in his arms. He stroked my hair and rubbed my back soothingly. Slowly, he was taking my pain away.

I wanted to be the one who took his pain away.

I wrapped my arms around his neck.

Right now, the black smoke didn't matter. Aoshi-san's announcement didn't matter.

I don't know what's wrong with me but I started wailing harder.

I was confused about my feelings. I liked Natsume, but was that all there was to it?

I wanted to be with Natsume all the time. I wanted to talk to him. It didn't even matter whether he cared about my problems or not. I just wanted him to be there to listen to me. I wouldn't care if he didn't have the solutions. It was enough that he was there with me. I wanted to keep him near me to make sure he was safe; that he wasn't going off on any dangerous missions without me to protect him.

I wanted to hide Natsume from the world; to protect him from the judging eyes of others and to prevent him from seeing the ghosts of his past.

I knew it was selfish of me.

Natsume didn't, and never will, belong to me.

That knowledge rang clear in my mind and it pained the very depths of my heart.

Natsume was Ruka's best friend; Youichi's onii-chan; the Academy's silent protector and a pillar of hope for some. He was the object of admiration and respect for many students in the Academy.

It was selfish of me to even think about keeping him to myself.

What is love anyway? I don't want to just "like" Natsume; I wanted to be able to love him too.

But could I? Could I?

I don't even know my own feelings.

And even if I did, I was afraid to tell him.

I was afraid of rejection.

I mean, Natsume was devilishly handsome and there were lots more girls out there who mere much smarter and more beautiful than I am. I'm just some empty, abused shell of a child who let herself be used to benefit others. I'm nothing more than a living, breathing tool.

_But if he used me, I wouldn't mind._

I knew about Natsume's hard past and how much he has suffered because of it. He was also being used by the Academy but he was more than just a tool. He was befriended by Ruka, admired by Youichi and loved by me…

I gasped and my shoulders tensed. I stopped crying.

"Mikan?" Natsume inquired softly. "What's the matter?"

I… _love _Natsume?

No, that can't be, I reasoned with myself. I'm too stupid to even know what love is. I can't even love my own father.

_But you do love Natsume_, my heart nagged.

Love, love, love…

"Hey, Polka-dots, what's wrong?"

I don't even want to think about that any more. It hurt me so much just thinking about my definitely passive affection for Natsume. The world was just way too screwed up; no, my own feelings were screwed up.

Imagine how much more hurt I would be forced to feel if I verbalised this. Especially with Natsume around.

I buried my head in his chest and listened to his heartbeat once more.

I guess this was really the first time I actually took the time to think about my feelings for Natsume.

I didn't care about the black smoke or the AAO. The biggest obstacle in my life was Natsume himself.

Kami-sama, was it appropriate to feel this way? I mean, knowing Natsume, maybe that kiss six years ago was just a joke…

The way he was tenderly holding me now… The way he was stroking my hair to pacify me… It was only because he felt pity for me.

No one could possibly love me; especially Natsume.

I was just an empty, broken shell of a girl. No one wants to recycle litter. My own mother doesn't even want me. I can't even love my father. What does this tell you about me?

All my life, I guess I've just been annoying and useless. The only thing I was good for was helping the Academy fight the AAO.

And then what? What lay in store for me when the battle was over?

I have no one to turn to.

Kami-sama, why does everything have to happen so fast? Before, I never really had to make decisions with such dire consequences but now… Is this karma's compensation?

Fate is never kind.

I pushed myself away from Natsume and looked at him in the eye.

My heart was beating wildly and my brain was screaming at me that there was no way Natsume would ever return my affections. _I don't deserve him_.

But on the other hand, I was never really good at using my head to figure things out. All my friends always made that very clear to me.

Am I the only one in love? I needed to know.

_Haeret lateri lethalis arundo._

It hurt just looking at those crimson eyes of his. They were so beautiful it must've been a sin for a pitiful girl like me to be looking at them.

Kami-sama, forgive me for I'm about to commit another sin.

I cupped his cheeks and lightly touched my lips to his.

No reaction.

I was right then. He didn't feel the same way.

I gasped as I felt Natsume tighten his hold on my waist and deepened the kiss. He was kissing me back!

After what seemed like eons, I broke the kiss. I was going to suffocate if I didn't gasp for air.

I twisted the fabric of what was left of my dress. I felt one strap come undone. I was too embarrassed to face Natsume.

Natsume grasped my chin gently, forcing me to look into those eyes again. Maintaining eye contact was difficult.

"What do you feel for me?"

I looked away. The nerve of that guy! Why the hell was he asking me what I felt for him when I just showed him! Not on _one_ occasion, but on _two_ occasions!

"What's wrong? Are you afraid to tell me, little girl? I thought _friends_ told each other everything."

Damn Natsume! Wasn't it obvious I wanted to be _more_ than just friends? He was making this difficult for me on purpose! I huffed and voiced this out to him.

To my fury, he chuckled! "Hey, how dare you laugh at me when I'm pouring my heart out to you!" I glared at him.

He smirked. "Now there's the little girl I know."

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Natsume-baka!"

His smirk widened. He leaned in closer, pinning me against the wall and towering over me. "Of course. You're definitely not a little girl any more," he eyed my chest. I covered it, blushing. Pervert! "You're _my_ Mikan."

Our attention was diverted to the doorway as we heard the clutter of a tray and the crashing of plates.

Spilled milk and broken cookies littered the floor along with broken china. We glanced up to see a raven-haired girl turn abruptly and hurriedly walked down the hallway.

I saw it.

The raw pain and disappointment in Hotaru's eyes.

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**To be continued…**

This chapter was certainly full of Mikan's self-delusion, ne? But still, neither of them have actually voiced their feelings out yet.

Next chapter, there's going to be a little heart-to-heart between Hotaru and Mikan. Also, the identity of the person behind the black smoke will be revealed either in the next chapter. Also, what happened to Urumi and Persona…? Hmm…

_Here's another challenge: whoever can give the best definition for the phrase "Haeret lateri lethalis arundo" will have the next chapter dedicated to her/him!_


	9. Swans

As promised, this chapter is dedicated to **AYA12**!

Last chapter I said there'll be a little _Mikan-and-Hotaru moment_ here but I decided to make it a _Sumire-and-Mikan-talk-about-Hotaru_ moment.

I really, really like Persona's eyes. That was not random.

Oh yes, since I live in Singapore, did anyone make the connection between "black smoke" and "haze"? Hahaha I only called it "smoke" because it was better than calling it a "black substance".

**Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice and Persona's eyes are the masterpieces of Higuchi Tachibana-sama.**

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**Two Quarters And A Heart Down**  
**9: Swans  
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"Hotaru!" I called after her but she was already gone.

I stood up, ignoring Natsume's "Wait, Polka-dots". I felt something pull me back and then…

_Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiip._

"Looks like you've exchanged the polka-dots for plain ones, huh? Boring."

I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. Closing my eyes, I turned around slowly and prepared myself for the worst.

When I stood up to go after Hotaru, Natsume had grabbed the skirt of my dress to pull me back BUTITRIPPED!

_Yes, my dress ripped._

And now he was making fun of my plain pink panties.

Biting back a scream and a scathing comment, I rounded on him, glaring silent death threats all the while. Calmly, I tugged the remainder of my poor, white dress out of his grasp and threw the blankets off of him, leaving him with only his T-shirt and sweatpants for warmth.

Natsume eyed me as I purposefully grasped the waistband of his pants. I stopped and asked him, "Do you wear boxers or briefs?"

One sardonic brow arched. I could tell he was curious to find out just exactly what I was planning to do to him. "Boxers," he eventually said.

"Good," I replied nonchalantly and pulled his pants down. With strength and accuracy I never even knew I possessed, I whipped his pants right off of him. Heh. He really was wearing boxers --- red checkered ones to be exact.

I honestly couldn't care less if he saw my panties; he'd seen them plenty of times already anyway. Jamming my legs in, I hoisted the pants up to my waist, tucking the rest of the frazzled dress in, making it look like I was wearing a camisole top.

I was determined to find out what was eating Hotaru (definitely not yoghurt or crab roe) --- I still considered her my best friend even after all these years.

Sure, I had Kenta and Hiro but no matter what, no one could ever replace Hotaru in my heart, even if I didn't think about her as much as I used to nowadays.

Remembering my father's announcement, I gestured for Natsume to follow me out of the room. Whatever Aoshi-san had to say must be regarding the black smoke and Natsume was more than obligated to hear it; he was the smoke's victim after all.

When he didn't get up from the bed, I calmly informed Natsume about the black smoke. I didn't know if he knew _what_ possessed him yesterday evening but I assumed he did upon seeing the unperturbed look on his face. However, he simply watched me as I stared at him in disbelief, waiting for him to react; get up and find out more about the black smoke. Wasn't he interested?

Poker face in place, Natsume stated listlessly, "Those pants don't suit you."

"Are you worried about everyone seeing you in your underwear? Does it even matter? Boxers are practically shorts anyway." Right? Anyway, was that what he was worried about?

"Anyway," I continued, "most of the people waiting for us are guys so it wouldn't matter." Remembering Sumire, I added, "You might want to watch out for Sumire, though. She might jump on you or something."

Natsume shrugged. Then he said something completely unrelated to our current topic.

"Imai. She missed you."

I turned away from him. I was amazed that I could keep eye contact with such an intense pair of eyes for that long.

Frankly, I felt a little silly. I guess I really was stupid to think that Natsume was more worried about his underwear than my currently dilapidated (at least I think that may be the case) relationship with my childhood best friend.

Now with Natsume voicing what appeared to be the extent of his concern towards Hotaru, I guess I was obligated to feel more worried about her than I already am. Something must've happened to her in the six years I was gone.

"Hotaru. Go after her."

I was already halfway out the door. Smiling wistfully to myself, I whispered, "I know."

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Muffled chatter greeted me when I re-entered my hospital room.

Chisa was facing the wall at one end of the room, Kenta watching her with eagle eyes and crossing his arms over his chest. Hiro was leaning against Chisa's wall, eyes closed. Aoshi-san was looking out the window, turning his back on everyone else. The rest were whispering amid themselves while occasionally shooting glances at Chisa, Chisa's "guards" or at the esteemed headmaster. I noticed Ruka was gone. To the bathroom perhaps?

I was going to ask where Hotaru was but I stopped when I saw the sunlight framing Aoshi-san.

Maybe it was unconnected but seeing him like that, I started telling myself that _this_ was the man who helped give me life. He was the one who provided half of my chromosomes. He was the one who fell in love with the woman who carried me in her womb.

He never talked about her. He must still be hurting from when she left him all those years ago. Even more so because she took me away from him too; the seed of their romance.

Narumi-sensei told me that I looked just like my mother, save for the colour of my eyes, which were Aoshi-san's. I guess it hurt my father even more when he looked at me; I was a reminder of his lost love after all.

Yuki Aoshi: my father.

"Mikan, welcome back!" Yuu's cheerful voice snapped me out of my reverie. Then, as everyone turned their attention to me, all eyes swivelled to my newly acquired piece of clothing: Natsume's pants.

Aoshi-san opened his mouth but I hastily waved my hands in front of me. "Save it for later," I said, not unpleasantly. "Where's Hotaru?"

Sumire, Koko and Yuu exchanged knowing glances.

"Actually, Mikan," Yuu tried to reason. "I don't think it's a very good idea that we disturb her right now. She's um, busy. With her latest invention."

With Ruka?

"Oh," I said dejectedly. If they weren't going to tell me what Hotaru was up to, I could always steal Koko's mind reading Alice…

"Natsume!" Sumire squealed, her eyes practically turning into hearts.

Natsume stood behind me in the doorway, leaning his side against the frame casually. I saw Koko's smile (that guy is ALWAYS smiling; I wonder why people call _me_ the ever-cheerful one) widen.

"Nice _shorts_, Natsume," Koko commented slyly, obviously reading Natsume's mind.

Natsume grunted in response. He eyed Aoshi-san, whose eyes were narrowed as he made the connection between my "new" sweatpants and Natsume's lack thereof.

"So let's hear it, _Headmaster_," Natsume hissed. "This black smoke business. I've got a right to know."

"I change my mind," my father declared. "This hospital room is not a suitable place to discuss such confidential matters."

"Confidential?" I echoed. "You just said everyone here could hear it."

"Indeed," Aoshi-san continued. "Everyone present here is involved in this matter. However, Imai-san and Nogi-san are not here at the moment and they have as much right here to hear this as everyone else present here." He said this with a snide tone directed towards Natsume.

"Mikan," I straightened my back, now alert, "return to your dormitory room and proceed to class immediately. That goes for all of you, except," he made eye contact with Chisa, who glared back, "Mawako-san. And Hyuuga-san, Imai-sensei has granted you permission to leave the hospital."

Aoshi-san continued in his authoritarian tone, "Report to my office in the main building at six o'clock this evening. Anyone reporting later than that time will be barred from the discussion. Aside from Sakura-san, Hayasaka, Fujimori and Hyuuga, Tobita-san and Shouda-san are required to attend as high school division representatives. And, of course, Kokoroyomi-san, as Student Council President, you must attend this important meeting. Please inform Imai-san and Nogi-san of this meeting. Their service will be of great help in the future."

My eyes practically bulged out of my sockets. Koko was a School Principal? No way! Seeing the secretive little smile on his face, I guessed his mind reader abilities helped a lot in his rise to power. Who knew our dear, sweet Koko could be so deceptive?

Just then, Narumi-sensei burst in, smiling brightly and carrying a tray of sandwiches in one hand. "I brought some snacks, minna! Oh, did I just miss something?"

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Hotaru didn't come to class. Iinchou said that she was still working on her invention. When I asked where Ruka was, he said that both Ruka and Natsume were in class C.

Classes let out at three in the afternoon so I had a little over two and a half hours to spare before heading to Aoshi-san's office. I was planning to head over to the sakura tree to wait for Natsume but Sumire stopped me on my way out of the classroom. She said that we needed to talk.

I guess Sumire wanted her claws-out confrontation now. I sighed and followed her out of the building and into a clearing in the forest, not very far from one of Narumi-sensei's tea party sites.

She sat down on the grass, tucking her legs neatly behind her. I was a little surprised at how docile she's being. Nevertheless, I sat down in front of her in a similar fashion.

Sumire tucked a stray curl behind her ear and let out a sigh that she seemed to have been holding in for a long while. "Look, Sakura," she began, twirling a lock between her fingers. "I'll be honest with you. I never liked you very much to begin with."

I nodded. What was this coming to?

"But still, when you came here six years ago, you made a big impact on Natsume-kun and Ruka-kun. But never mind about that now," her voice took on a more aggressive tone and she stared intently at me. "Frankly speaking, I wasn't all that close to Hotaru, you know? But after you left, she started acting… different. It wasn't obvious at first but gradually, over the years, we saw how the ice queen crumbled.

"She stopped inventing new things. She became obsessed with you, or at least your memory. She started inventing robot after robot that represented you."

"What about Amanatsu?" I asked softly. Oh, Hotaru…

"I don't know what became of her," Sumire confided. "She scrapped all the robots she invented, claiming that none of them were like you. Hotaru said that she didn't know where you were now or what was happening to you but she was sure you had changed over the years. She wanted to invent a robot that was a copy of the future you. Iinchou and I always thought that Hotaru didn't like losing sight of you so she wanted to know how you'd turn out; so she'd know how to deal with you when she met you again."

My brows furrowed in confusion. Hotaru… didn't like losing sight of me? I had a feeling this had something to do with her running off earlier.

"Soon, all her research money dwindled and she started losing investors."

"Wait," I cut in. "Just yesterday, Misaki-sensei called her out of class because an investor wanted to manufacture her prototype."

"A lie," Sumire stated harshly. "Hotaru did lose most of her investors but some didn't give up on her. Oftentimes an investor would come to see her and ask her to invent things for them, even providing the models and schematics. They'd even grant her a sum of money to build the machine. Most of the time Hotaru didn't accept the jobs but today, I heard from my brother that she accepted the latest offer."

She took a breath. "You know, when Hotaru became incapable of inventing those wondrous things from before, people lost all admiration and respect for her. The teachers even began suspecting that she was losing her Alice. When you left, she was at the turning point of becoming a three-star to a special star but now, she's been demoted to a two-star because of her current lack of performance in the innovation scene."

"And this is all because of me…" I whispered. Oh, Hotaru. What have I done to you? Immense guilt ensnared my senses.

"Mikan," Sumire's voice took on a gentler quality. "Do you know why Hotaru accepted yesterday's offer?"

"No," I sobbed truthfully.

"Because you came back," she said softly. "Your coming back to the Academy gave her hope, Mikan. You brought back hope to her."

"There's still one thing I don't get," I choked out. "Why is she upset when she saw Natsume and I…" I trailed off. I forgot Sumire liked Natsume.

Sumire chuckled sadly. "I know about Natsume's feelings for you. I'm okay with it, though." Resolve returned to her voice. "Of course she was upset when she saw you with Natsume! Like I said, you brought hope back to Hotaru. Her best friend was finally back and she thought she'd be able to have you all to herself after suffering with loneliness these six years. And now, she feels like her hopes have been shattered."

"Oh, Hotaru," I wailed. "I would never ever neglect Hotaru. I lo-l-like Natsume but Hotaru's my best friend and no one can ever change that!"

Sumire smiled sadly. "Iinchou and I have always seen it as clear as day. Hotaru loves you, Mikan."

I sniffed and wiped a tear from my eye. "But she always has a funny way of showing it."

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**To be continued…**

Reviews are much loved and much appreciated.

Well, well. There's the reason for Hotaru's fleeing. And Ruka…? Anyway, what _did_ happen to Urumi and Persona anyway? And the information about the black smoke? I'll try to reveal all in the next chapter!

Oh, and yes, some readers did notice the change in behaviour in Mikan as the story progresses. I'm glad they did so she's becoming more emotional compared to the start but that's what I intended for. Next chapter will be a wake-up call for Mikan concerning her role as a "tool" for the Academy. Watch out for Persona's eyes next chapter!

We're halfway there, folks. I've already got the sequel to this story planned out.


	10. Overstepping Authority

_Kyaaaaaaaa! _This chapter is dedicated to **SNOWMIRAGE** for giving me my **100TH REVIEW!**

Thank you all so much, my wonderful readers and reviewers! Your continuous support and advice over the past chapters have been precious and invaluable to me. As we hit the big 1-0 in this story, I'm going to need your support more than ever to keep this story going. Reviews give me the energy to turn ideas into words! –bows-

**Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice belongs to Higuchi Tachibana-sama!**

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**Two Quarters And A Heart Down**  
**10: Overstepping Authority  
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I walked beside Natsume in silence.

It was okay though; he didn't seem to mind my quietness and I didn't really feel like talking anyway.

But I wasn't unhappy or anything. I was just feeling… contemplative.

Now that I knew what was bothering Hotaru, the next time I saw her after the meeting I'd make sure to let her know my finite feelings for her. I'd make sure that she'd make time for me before embarking on her latest innovation journey.

The main building was nearly a kilometre away from the Elementary Division dormitory and instead of taking the school bus Narumi-sensei had offered, Natsume and I decided to walk to headquarters. Walking there required us to pass by the charred Elementary Division dormitory. The elementary students were paired up with their older siblings or same ability-type seniors to share rooms with in the evenings until the Elementary dorm was repaired. I heard that Youichi was paired up with Natsume.

I sidestepped the ashes on the grass and regarded the dilapidated building with interest. Natsume said that he was the one who set the dorm on fire but I presumed he was under the control of the black smoke, or _that person_ as Aoshi-san referred to the source.

Since the source of the fire was an Alice, the flames would have been near impossible to extinguish by physical means. I could have put out the fire with my Nullification Alice but considering the building's size, I would exhaust nearly all my powers doing so. The higher-ups in the Academy resorted to pooling together Alices whose abilities pertained to wind or water to put out the fire before it completely disintegrated the building.

I expected a few mischief-makers or scavenger hunters to be hanging around the broken building but not a huge crowd.

Nearly a dozen people --- mainly Middle School or High School students --- were crowding around an ashen tree not far from the building. Some girls were burying their faces in their boyfriends' chests; some guys were pointing at something hidden in the tree's leaves while others looked plain sick.

Natsume and I approached the crowd. I knew from experience that when Natsume wanted to see whatever was being crowded around, people made room for him. It was Natsume after all; there was reason to be scared.

This time, however, people did notice Natsume's presence but they didn't budge an inch. Whatever they were so interested in must be quite something if they think enduring Natsume's wrath was worth it.

I couldn't quite see what the object of interest was so I tapped on a boy's shoulder and asked. He ignored me completely even when I tapped his shoulder again.

Natsume saw this and I could tell he was getting annoyed. He clenched his fist (the one that wasn't in his pocket) and the surrounding air started to get warmer. I needn't stop him or ask the boy, though, because the student council President himself came to see what the commotion was about.

"Hey, you guys!" Koko called out amiably, followed by his entourage, which consisted of Iinchou, Sumire and two middle school students. "What's going on?"

I smiled shyly at Sumire and she turned away and stuck her nose in the air, arms crossed. I didn't miss the small smile on her lips though.

Mochu floated out of the crowd and grinned at him. "Do you even need to ask, President? You've got the Mind Reading Alice after all."

Koko's grin widened sheepishly. "Good point, Mochu. Now stay still so I can read your mind."

"But my moving doesn't affect your Alice's ability."

"You're right but I concentrate better when I'm not dizzy so stop flying in circles already."

"Hey!" a girl shouted. "Don't be so cheerful about it, Mochu. This is something serious."

The crowd noticed the President's appearance and girls started crowding around him. Huh. When did Koko get so popular now?

Seeing that hardly anyone else was crowding around the tree now, I grabbed Natsume's arm and dragged him over to the tree's base.

Sunlight filtered through the tree's canopy and cast intricate patterns of leaves and shadows on our faces. I glanced at Natsume. His face was cast skyward, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Natsume, wha – " he cut me off by clamping a hand on my head.

"Don't look up," he commanded.

I wish I listened to him.

I really wish I did.

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I timidly watched Aoshi-san move piles of paper around his desk and how he would run a hand through his short, chocolate brown hair in irritation every now and then.

I felt faint and sick.

I wanted to do nothing more than just lie down here and sleep, never mind the dirty floor; to curl into myself and wish the world away.

There was no place to sit in Aoshi-san's office, seeing as everything besides his own desk was soaked in blood. _Urumi's blood._

I didn't even want to look out of the window. Last time I checked, it was literally raining blood. _Urumi's blood._

Natsume noticed my body's slight swaying and stepped behind me, squeezing my shoulders and giving me the support my legs seemed to forget to provide.

"Thanks," I muttered softly, closing my eyes and leaning my head against his chest. When I closed my eyes, the day's horrific events replayed in my mind's eye.

Where should I even think to begin? Of course, the tree was where it all began.

I remember looking up…

…and seeing Persona's decapitated head.

Actually, no. His head wasn't disconnected from his body _yet_. Looking back, seeing his body up there in the tree, I still questioned whether the guy was even dead or alive then.

Suspended between the thick branches and eaves of leaves was Persona's body. His head was wedged between two branches, stretching his neck. If more pressure were applied, his head would've come clean off.

And his eyes…

His white mask was nowhere in sight and as Natsume and I looked up, I felt as though his blood red eyes were staring directly at me.

His eyes were wide with shock; a strange expression on Persona's face indeed. The garbled rouge hues seemed to convey a mixture of estranged emotions: betrayal, blame, indignation, and most of all, fear.

The emotions dancing in his wide open eyes seemed so alive; so real, that it was hard to believe he was actually dead.

I had always thought of Persona as someone who had seen more ugliness, more bloodshed of humanity than anyone else I will ever meet; so much so that I came to believe he was untouchable.

I didn't want to believe he was dead because if someone could kill _him_, then what chance do the rest of us have? Kenta, Hiro and I… Even Natsume…

Our enemy was far greater than we could have imagined.

However, I couldn't delude myself into denial over Persona's death any more when Jinno-sensei and Misaki-sensei came running to the scene, apparently called for by Koko's secretaries.

They quickly dispersed the students from the tree but they didn't try to make Natsume and I budge. Probably because we were "personal" students of Persona…

Misaki-sensei took out some seeds from his pockets and vines burst forth from them, growing and wrapping themselves around the branches limiting Persona's body. Misaki-sensei pulled the branches apart and Persona's body slipped forward and fell.

The corpse was going to land on me.

I saw it coming; yet I couldn't bring myself to move. It was as if my legs forgot how to function temporarily.

Falling, I saw that Persona's face and hands were free of Alice limiters. Strange.

All I could do was brace myself for the impact; for when cold flesh collides with living warmth.

But it never came.

Before Persona's body could even make contact with the tip of my head, it burst into ashes.

For a while, it seemed like time had frozen as I watched the ashes swirl around me. The passing wind carried some of the ashes away with it, depositing his remains in places only Kami-sama knows where.

Then, I felt someone pull my ponytail, dragging me to the ground. I let myself be pulled down and Natsume immediately engulfed me in his embrace; cradling me and tucking my head under my chin, hiding me from death and anguish.

I closed my eyes and waited for death to stop raining.

I had no idea that what was coming next was much, much worse.

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I opened my eyes when Natsume prodded the small of my back.

My bangs clung to my forehead. I hadn't realised I had broken into a cold sweat.

"You okay, Polka-dots?" he asked nonchalantly.

"I told you I'm not wearing polka-dots today," I murmured weakly. It was a pathetic attempt to make light of the situation.

I glanced at the clock on the wall. It screamed 5:45.

The others were coming soon. Sumire and Yuu had left Koko's side to call them.

My eyes trailed over to where Aoshi-san sat at his desk. He had stopped moving the papers around and was now cradling his head with his hand. It seemed as though he was having a headache --- the effect of using his Alice, probably.

Besides Aoshi-san, Natsume and I, another person was in the room with us: Koko. He, too, was having a headache. He must still be hearing _that person's voice_ in his head.

Natsume followed my gaze and let his intense stare land on Koko. "Hn," he grunted. "Poor guy must be tormented."

"Yeah," I agreed, taking pity on the blonde boy whom I've known since childhood.

I walked over to the couch Koko was slumped in (he didn't seem to mind sitting on blood) and kneeled before him.

"Koko," I called out softly, gingerly touching his knee.

His brown eyes fluttered open wildly. I winced inwardly. He looked pained and disturbed. His eyes looked sad and hollow.

"If you want, I can temporarily nullify your Alice," I said soothingly, "so you don't have to hear it any more."

Koko smiled sadly. "Thanks, Mikan."

He closed his eyes as I gently placed a hand on his head. I closed my eyes and concentrated, searching for the source of his Alice within him, and upon finding it, I temporarily sealed it. Koko was now an ordinary boy for the next twenty-four hours.

The moment I lifted my hand from the dirty blonde hair, the door burst open revealing a panting Kenta, closely followed by Hiro, Ruka, Hotaru, Sumire and Yuu.

"What the hell happened here?" Kenta demanded weakly.

I looked at Natsume, who suddenly found the ceiling, which was dripping with blood, very interesting. Aoshi-san had his eyes closed, massaging his temples and I couldn't possibly ask poor Koko to explain the situation.

Hotaru looked me straight in the eye. "Tell us what happened, Mikan." It wasn't a command but a request.

I gulped down the lump that had begun to form in my throat.

"This is Urumi's betrayal."

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**To be continued…**

-sniffs- Truth be told, this chapter was really, really hard to write.

But on the bright side, if you think Persona is really dead, think again...


	11. I Would've Liked You

Happy Friday the Thirteenth!

**Disclaimer: Higuchi Tachibana created Gakuen Alice. We are mere fans bowing down at her greatness.**

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**Two Quarters And A Heart Down  
****11: I Would've Liked You  
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"Who's Urumi?" Sumire demanded, though not rudely.

I smiled wistfully and said, "My trainer."

"Trainer?" Ruka's brows furrowed.

I took a deep breath. It was time I told them the truth.

Once I finished explaining the Black Hole and the reason for my six years' disappearance, I looked at the floor. I wasn't really looking forward to seeing their facial expressions or hearing their pity or anger at me. Thankfully, none came. For now, anyway.

"And this blood is her betrayal?" Yuu prodded softly, confused.

I nodded slowly. I had a mouthful of explaining to do.

Narumi-sensei saved me once more. He left to inform the other headmasters about Urumi's _deed_ and upon returning, he sensed the tension in the air and quickly chirped, "Well, this may take a while. I'll go make some tea, neh?"

And he walked through the wooden doors again. So much for him being my saviour.

Might as well get this over with, I thought miserably. While waiting for Narumi-sensei to come back, I began telling my friends about Persona's death and what happened afterwards.

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Let me tell you what happened after the ashes stopped falling.

I allowed myself to be steered to the main building by Natsume, where Aoshi-san and Narumi-sensei were discussing something in hushed voices in the headmaster's office.

Without hesitating to knock, Natsume pulled the door handle open. Narumi-sensei rounded on us, deep concern soaking his amethyst pupils. "Mikan-chan," he said soothingly, gently taking my hand and motioning for me to sit on the plush leather couch. "I heard what happened."

"Oi, Naru," Natsume drawled rudely. "Who killed him?"

I glanced at Natsume for the first time since we were at the tree. His forehead was creased with worry and his lips were smudged in an unattractive frown. I guess even Natsume was affected by Persona's death in his own way; he was one of Persona's favourite, or rather, personal, students after all. The man had been mentoring him in fighting and Alice control for half his life.

Narumi-sensei and Aoshi-san exchanged vexed glances. With all the apprehension in the air, I was practically in a room full of constipated men.

"We're still trying to solve that quandary ourselves, Hyuuga-kun," Aoshi-san said irritably. He didn't seem to like Natsume, probably because of The Boxers Incident. Natsume grunted in response.

The three of them didn't have to rack their brains any more for very long because at that moment, the door burst open and a bleeding Kokoroyomi was thrust in by none other than Persona's murderer. But we didn't know that at the time.

Narumi-sensei swiftly rushed to Koko's side, helping the abused President up and handing him a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his lips. "Tenaka," he growled. "How dare you hurt my student! Explain yourself!"

Urumi's mouth curled into an ugly sneer. "I felt the boy using his Alice to prod into my mind. He needs to learn how to respect privacy, Narumi."

"It's her!" Koko gasped, waving his arms dramatically. "That woman killed Persona!"

"What?!" Aoshi-san, Narumi-sensei, Natsume and I cried out in disbelief.

Urumi's sneer widened. "It is true, Aoshi-_dono_, Sakura-_dono_."

"How foolhardy," my father's authoritarian tone took hold of his voice, "to admit so right in front of the authorities. Do you have a death wish, Tenaka?"

"There are no authorities here, Aoshi-dono."

"_I_ am the authority, Tenaka."

"You have no authority, Aoshi." Urumi's sadistically amused tone drastically changed into one of resolve and contempt. Her only visible eye had taken on a lethal gleam. I no longer knew this woman.

"You never had any authority, Aoshi," Urumi bulldozed. "_Never_. Ever since you entered this Academy as a child, your willpower has been stripped from you. Ever since you allowed yourself to set foot onto this campus, you've submitted to the bidding of the All-Seeing Eye. In fact, the whole purpose of your existence is to fulfil the role given to you by the All-Seeing Eye."

My father's face paled considerably. He sucked his cheeks in and countered Urumi's verbal wrath, though his voice didn't possess the same authority and resolve as before. "Don't liken _that person_ as a god of sorts. He is nothing more than a human being like the rest of us. He controls no one."

Urumi laughed hollowly. "Naïve Aoshi. You're in self-denial now. Are you still upset that your precious little flower allied herself with, ah, as you call him, 'that person'?"

"If you believe that charlatan to be a god," my father defied bitterly, "then are you nothing more than a pawn for him to play with as well?"

"Yes, I acknowledge that. That is why I allowed myself to act according to his wishes. Yuka knew it, too. That's why she left you."

This strange information was coming in too fast. I didn't have time to collect my thoughts. All I could do was watch my father's quick change of expressions: from indignation to anger, to deep sorrow.

"Tell me," Aoshi-san said softly, "I knew you were aware of _that person's_ existence but if you were going to betray the Academy anyway, why bother joining as a trainer in the first place?"

"To meet your daughter," Urumi whispered dangerously. She took a step towards me, her eye twinkling with determination.

Natsume stepped in front of me, one protective arm blocking me from view. From the corner of my eye, I watched as all colour drained from my father's already pallid face. I was confused; _what the hell was going on?_

"Care to elaborate, Tenaka?" Aoshi-san demanded coolly.

"I'm afraid I can't reveal any more information than I already have, Aoshi," Urumi continued in that lethal whisper of hers. Her voice sent shivers down my spine.

"Kokoroyomi!"

"Sorry, sir!" Koko cried, glancing at my father. "I-I can't read her mind. It's no use."

"I don't have any other option then," Aoshi-san whispered.

Narumi-sensei's brows furrowed and his forehead creased. "Think twice before using your Alice, Yuki! You know what'll happen if you lose control."

"I have to do it," he murmured.

My father's face turned sanguine. "Confirm my suspicions!" he boomed in a voice that resonated hauntingly throughout the vast room. Urumi's lavender eye widened in… fear? Just what kind of Alice did my father possess?

Aoshi-san undid his forest green tie and dashed towards Urumi. He swiftly and accurately cracked his tie like a whip and it wound itself around Urumi's throat. However, Aoshi-san didn't try to strangle her or anything. His brows furrowed in concentration and his emerald eyes seemed to glow in the light of the setting sun. The threads of his tie broke apart and clutched at Urumi's neck, looking very much like grotesque, bulging veins and arteries.

The nightmarish reality didn't end there.

The "veins" pierced Urumi's skin, penetrating the black turtleneck. The cloth around her neck and mouth ripped, eliciting a scream from the dark-haired freak. The "veins" looked like blood-sucking saplings as they bulged even more as they rooted themselves into her skin.

Exactly _what_ was Aoshi-san's Alice?

Aoshi-san relaxed and he stared at Urumi's contorted face calmly. "You will hide no secrets from me," he stated. "This is my Alice: Inquisition! I wish to make a pact with you. Answer my eleven questions and you will survive this ordeal.

"First: how did Persona's death come about?"

"Last night," Urumi said in a choked, monotonous voice, "after you and your daughter left, I ambushed him with a numbing gas. I was going to stab him with a knife but he put up a difficult fight despite his temporary paralysis. Our struggle led to the edges of the forest and I trapped him between the branches. He said that he would rather kill himself than die by my hand and proceeded to remove his Alice limiters. It would be suicide to be in such close proximity to a man with an Alice such as his so I fled. By that time, all his limiters had been removed ensuing in loss of control over his own Alice. I presumed he died of that cause."

Aoshi-san nodded. One "vein" relinquished its grip from Urumi's neck and fell limp.

I glanced at Natsume, intent on finding out his reaction. However, his face concealed his emotions as he regarded the scene before us coolly. I swear I saw disbelief flickering in his crimson irises, though.

"Second question: why did you try to kill Persona?"

Urumi answered once more in that monotonous voice, "He was too loyal to the Academy. With his intelligence and abilities, he was a great asset to the Academy and a large obstacle for the Anti-Alice Organisation. The All-Seeing Eye saw him as a threat to the Organisation's advance and ordered me to annihilate him, seeing as I am the one closest to him in proximity."

Another "vein" dropped off.

"Third: why do you hate the Alice Academy?"

The sneer returned and Urumi laughed hollowly. "Oh, don't pretend you don't know, _Yuki-chan_." My father's shoulders tensed again and he shouted, "Answer the question!" Urumi's head snapped back and her pupils dilated. Saliva dribbled down her chin.

Her head rolled forward and her mouth opened to continue talking in that monotonous voice, "As a child, I was scorned by my peers because of my Alice. However, you can imagine my delight when the Academy took interest in me and asked me to join them. At last I was going to be among people who understood me. However, in my last year of Middle School, my classmate was accidentally killed by my Alice. My peers began alienating me and the Academy saw the accident as murder. They began using blackmail to use me for missions against the Anti-Alice Organisation."

"I remember hearing about that incident from the Middle School Division Headmaster," Aoshi-san cut in quietly. "One student got injured in the Northern Forest and he bled from his head. His classmate tried to stop the bleeding with her Alice but ended up making his arteries burst, eventually killing him."

From this, I inferred that Urumi's Alice had something to do with controlling blood.

"Anyway, continue, Tenaka."

"Yes. Ultimately, after graduation, I wasn't allowed to leave the Academy. I could not get a job as the higher-ups made sure my 'reputation' as a murderer followed me everywhere I applied. No one wants to hire a murderer."

I glanced apprehensively at my father. He was one of the three headmasters --- he must be a member of "the higher-ups".

"The Council of Directors," Aoshi-san said, noticing my discomfort. "It consists of the people who fund the Academy, large company shareholders and big-shot politicians in governments all over the world. Even we, the headmasters, have no say in their decisions. We are only allowed to look after the well-being of our students and the reputation of our school. Any shady business conducted are orders from the Council."

I nodded in understanding. At least my father wasn't one of them.

An appendage had yet to drop off so that meant Urumi's answer was still incomplete.

"I tried to rebel against the Council but I failed. A limiter was implanted inside me to prevent me from tapping into my power again in case I rebelled in the future. In the years to come, I was specially trained to be one of the eight conductors in the Black Hole project designed by the Council. Also, my younger brother was seriously injured in an accident a few months after my graduation. He fell into a comatose state. He was not an Alice but the Academy used him against me anyway. They threatened to cut the power to his life-support machine if I ever stopped working for them. Moreover, I desperately needed the money to pay for my brother's medical fees and my job at the Academy was my only source of income."

Another "vein" dropped off.

So that's why she was always desperate for money. I almost felt sorry for her. The Academy was controlling her to that extent… Persona's threats to take Ruka if Natsume ever betrayed or disobeyed the Academy now seemed so innocent compared to the Council's corrupt doings.

"Fourth: how did you come to ally yourself with the Anti-Alice Organisation?" Aoshi-san asked silkily.

I reached out for Natsume's hand and he squeezed mine in return. So many secrets were being revealed here; I felt as though we were doing something illegal. My heart was pounding hard in my chest. Sooner or later Aoshi-san was going to ask about _that person_ and how my family was connected to him.

Answering Aoshi-san's question, Urumi said, "It was the will of the All-Seeing Eye. He told me that helping the Anti-Alice Organisation infiltrate the Academy grounds and allowing them to capture the students for corruption will bring about the downfall of the Academy faster. I could have my revenge and freedom after the Academy was destroyed. And," her eye flicked over to me (causing me to shudder), "with the Academy gone, dear little Mikan will meet her mother sooner. Meeting her mother will bring her closer to meeting the All-Seeing Eye. And that meeting will be the key to his ultimate goal."

Natsume squeezed my hand so tight I couldn't even feel pain any more; it was already numb. What the hell was going on here? What did I have to do with that person who thinks he's God? I was scared and confused.

"Fifth question," Aoshi-san's voice wavered, "how did you come to know of the All-Seeing Eye?"

An ugly grin broke out on Urumi's dismayed features.

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I took a deep breath.

I had always been talkative as a child but I don't think I ever talked this much in one go. The clock on the wall read 6:45. I'd been talking for nearly an hour now.

I glanced at my friends' utterly shocked faces. They seemed to be having a hard time digesting the information. Ruka was stroking his rabbit's fur so furiously that tufts of fur were coming off the poor creature. If Ruka didn't realise what he was doing, his poor bunny would have a rather unattractive bald spot in another ten minutes or so.

At that moment, Narumi-sensei burst through the wooden double doors, expertly carrying a tray of tea and biscuits like a seasoned waiter considering his arm had been injured by a bullet only last night. "Well, everyone," he said cheerfully in an attempt to ease the grim atmosphere in the room. "There's no place to sit here considering everything's covered in blood so how about having tea outside? It's stopped raining and there's a lovely moon out."

I nodded, thankful for the short intermission. "Yeah. I think we should go. Aoshi-san?"

My father nodded. "I know the perfect place," he said, striding out the door.

Kenta made a face and poked his temples with the tips of his fingers. "This is too much for me," he muttered. "Hey, Naru, I'll carry the biscuits for you!"

"No way, Fujimori!" Hiro snorted. "You'll only eat the biscuits before any of us can get our hands on it."

"Hey, I'm taking that as an insult, buddy. You saying I'm greedy?"

"No, Kenta. I know you binge eat when you're confused and just because you're stupid doesn't mean that you have to vent your frustration out on biscuits at our appetites' expense."

"Oi! That's no way to talk to your sempai, subordinate!"

"Whatever. I'm taller than you anyway."

"I'm still older."

"By five months."

"I-I'll carry the sugar," Ruka offered, rushing to Narumi-sensei's side.

"Um, I'll carry the milk," Yuu offered and, upon seeing Kenta and Hiro fight over the plate of biscuits, he added, "and the biscuits too."

Narumi-sensei smiled brightly. "Well, that's real helpful of you boys! Now, come along before we lose the esteemed headmaster from sight."

We followed the noisy group (actually only Kenta and Hiro were making noise while Narumi-sensei chuckled at them) out of Aoshi-san's war zone of an office.

I was truly glad that Kenta, Hiro and Narumi-sensei were around. They really lightened the atmosphere when it was at its darkest.

Actually, no. I have yet to reveal the last six questions and Urumi's answer to the fifth one. I was amazed I hadn't entered a state of shock or something of the like. I was already thinking about what I was going to do in the near future to counteract my current predicament.

We stepped out of the building and I breathed in the cool, night air. I quickly regretted that, though, as the strong, metallic scent of blood invaded my nostrils.

Aoshi-san was striding purposefully at the front of the group, with Narumi-sensei skipping along behind him, carrying the tray of tea and porcelain cups. Iinchou was worriedly trying to keep up with the older man, frantically yelling out warnings in case he spilled the warm tea or broke the cups while he himself was struggling with a pile of biscuits and a little pot of tea. Kenta and Hiro were walking with the former struggling to give the latter a noogie on the head but failing to do so because of the obvious height difference. Sumire and Koko were walking behind, talking amiably and occasionally laughing at the two teens in front of them. Natsume was walking side by side with Ruka, who was carrying a little container of sugar and balancing his bunny in his free arm, his hands tucked inside his pockets again.

That left Hotaru and I alone together at the back of the group.

I looked skyward at the waning moon. Narumi-sensei was right; it really was beautiful tonight.

I contemplated Urumi's disturbing answers. I tried not to think about what she had said about me or my parents' lives and instead focused on the bits of her past that she had revealed under the control of Aoshi-san's Alice.

If I knew about the kind of life she lived and the kind of corruption she was forced to submit to, I would've understood why she was the way she was and wouldn't have been so condescending of her. Maybe I would've taken pity on her… Would I have tried to get closer to her, to ease her pain?

Maybe.

"Mikan," Hotaru's soft voice snapped me out of my pensive mood.

"Yes, Hotaru?" I asked sweetly.

A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Baka," she breathed. "You've grown up, Mikan."

"What was that, Hotaru?"

"Oh, nothing."

I smiled at her.

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**To be continued...**

Reviews are much loved and much appreciated! (and much thought over)

This was another hard chapter to write... Only about a third of the mystery is coming together. By the way, since I guess this hasn't really been much of a "Drama" fic, I've decided to change the genre.

Oh, and I don't think this chapter's ending is a cliffhanger... or is it? Ahahahaha.

Let me tell you a little bit about the sequel to this story. From reading this, you can definitely tell that it's been much, much more than what the summary lets on. I promise you the sequel will have just as many mysteries as this.


	12. You Could Do Better

Sorry for being evil and making you wait for nearly a month! Next chapter will be posted tomorrow.

WARNING: This chapter is unedited so the author wishes to apologise for any atrocious errors.

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**Two Quarters And A Heart Down  
****12: You Could Do Better  
**\\\\\\\

Narumi-sensei happily dished out ample amounts of tea to everyone gathered in the moonlit gazebo. Often, tea would overflow from the little porcelain cups only to be collected by their little porcelain saucers.

Ahhh. Tea.

Tea was the universal cure to any emotional ailment.

Or so they say. I mean, when your pet guinea pig dies, what do you do? Have a cup of tea. When your fiancé breaks your engagement, what do you do? Have a cup of tea. When you've just found out that the whole purpose of your existence is to serve someone else, what do you do? Have a cup of tea.

Why serve tea when you can serve sugar?

Sugar makes you happy! And happiness will make you forget your misery, even for only a little while.

"Mikan," Iinchou said worriedly, wiping his overflowing teacup with a napkin. "Are you sure you haven't had too many sugar cookies?"

"I'm fine!" I chirped happily, shoving a tenth cookie into my mouth and munching happily.

"Sugar's good, neh, Mi-chan?" Narumi-sensei crooned in a sing-song voice. When I nodded, he gleefully passed me the plate of sugar cookies again.

"Narumi-sensei," Sumire said tentatively. "Um, are you sure there are enough biscuits for everyone?"

"Of course! Why, would you like another round of shortbread, Sumire-chan?" Narumi-sensei's eyes crinkled in delight as he produced a large box of assorted treats from goodness-knows-where and plonked it on the table, making even more tea spill onto the little porcelain saucers from their brimming little porcelain cups.

"Mou, Hiro-kun!" Kenta whined. "See! Naru's got more than plenty in his stocks! Why'd you have to stop me from eating the biscuits!"

"Shut up, Kenta," Hiro muttered, calmly sipping his tea.

"That's Kenta-_sempai_ to you, inferior."

"Shut up, shorty."

"Why, you - !"

I sniggered as I picked up yet another cookie and wiggled it in front of Hotaru, who had biscuit crumbs all over her mouth. "Neh, Hotaru-sama, you want a cookie?"

"No thanks."

"More for me then!" But before I could pop the sugary delight into my mouth, Natsume hissed across the table, "Hn. Pig."

Indignant, I threw the rock-like cookie at him and it hit him squarely on the forehead. I sniggered.

Natsume grunted. "Stop stuffing your face, Pinky. This isn't some freakin' tea party."

"It's not?" Both Narumi-sensei and I stared at Natsume wide-eyed, our heads tilted to the side in confusion. Then, realising Natsume's reference to my underwear, I cried, "Hey!" Smirking, I whispered, "If you must know, it's not pink today –"

Aoshi-san cleared his throat. "Hyuuga-kun. We will discuss your, ah, escapades, for wont of a better word, with _my daughter_ some other time – " Koko sniggered while Sumire puffed her cheeks in annoyance. Ruka and Yuu sweated while Hotaru remained stoic (Narumi-sensei continued to pour tea into Hotaru's already overflowing little porcelain cup _and_ little porcelain saucer, oblivious to the mess he was making on his pants) " – but yes, the purpose of this gathering must prevail. Mikan, as you have been chosen as the most appropriate to convey the day's events by your peers, please, continue."

I giggled giddily. The sugar had a really strong effect on me. I felt like swinging on the tree branches nearby…

"She needs to sober up first," Natsume remarked, noting my sugar-induced hype.

"Oh. Oh, right, Urumi's betrayal," I murmured.

Might as well get this over with. That way, I can be reunited with my sugar cookies faster. I have my eye on this particularly large, teddy bear-shaped one and I noticed that Hotaru's been looking at it too.

\\\

When I left off, Aoshi-san's fifth question for Urumi (who was under the control of my father's Inquisition Alice, and whose life was left to be determined by fulfilling a pact of answering eleven questions truthfully) was "How did you come to know of the All-Seeing Eye?"

As a recap, "the All-Seeing Eye" was some kind of title or crazy pseudonym for a single person who apparently thinks he's God. My father refers to him as _that person_ and he seemingly has control over the Anti-Alice Organisation's movements. Moreover, my mother --- Yuka was her name, I believe --- _allied_ herself with this charlatan for reasons I've yet to reveal, or truly know, for that matter.

I know that Aoshi-san's Alice was supreme (he was classified as a Dangerous Ability Type as a student) but I still had my doubts to Urumi's answers under his control. I mean, her answers were biased --- only part of the entire truth. Naturally, there was a part of me that wanted to believe that my mother did _not_ abandon me so callously like the abominable woman said she did.

Anyway, Urumi's answer to the fifth question sounded more like a socially deprived schoolgirl's love story rather than a meeting with a shady underworld crime lord --- or so I'd like to think. Considering that I was brought up in the countryside and most of my adolescence was spent in seclusion from society and humanity in general, I had very little understanding of how social circles functioned so Urumi's answer was really eyebrow-raising for me.

I recall the ugly contortion of Urumi's lips in what I now believe was meant to be her lovesick smile. As she answered, her voice was dripping in saccharine sweetness that it was hard to discern whether she was being sincere or sarcastic. "He was the one who saved me from the darkness."

The abominable woman's choice of words made me recall what Natsume had told me years ago: _"Don't look into a darkness you don't need to see with that silly head of yours that doesn't think much."_

But I had a feeling that Urumi's case was different from Natsume's.

The sickly sugary tone was quickly replaced by the monotonous one as Urumi elaborated her "answer". A quick glance at the occupants of the room, save Urumi, told me that they were as clueless as I was. Although I swore I saw a look of pained regret on Narumi-sensei's pallid features…

"It was two years after my graduation from the Academy --- about a year before Sakura-san entered the school --- I was gradually losing hope of ever shaking myself free from the higher-ups' control. After a failed mission to retrieve some specimen samples from Organisation Q's Somatic hybrid experiments, I was badly injured in a collision between two of their transport trucks. I was caught in the crossfire."

I winced inwardly, regaining some feeling back in my arm and squeezing Natsume's hand back. Was that how she lost her right eye? In that accident?

Urumi's remaining eyeball swivelled over to me as though reading my thoughts. This woman was beyond freakish --- she was downright creepy. In an attempt to break eye contact, I nervously turned my head ninety degrees to the left where Aoshi-san maintained his white knuckled grip on the green, nerve-like instrument that was once his necktie. Beads of sweat trickled from his damp hairline and dribbled down his chin. His emerald eyes shone with resolve.

"I was the only survivor of that unfortunate incident," Urumi continued blandly. "I remember losing mobility of my legs before blacking out completely. Oh, how I recall the trauma I went through thinking about how the Academy would throw me away for being a useless tool as I could no longer walk. I worried about who was going to support my brother if I had no source of income? That was when I met _him_ --- like he was the answer to all my problems."

Urumi mentioned her legs, not her eyes so I assumed that she did not lose her eye in that incident. Perhaps she lost it from cutting a deal with "that person"?

"When I came to after the accident, I was in a dark room that was lighted by only a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling. I remember panicking, as I knew for sure that the Academy watchdogs would be out looking for me. It was then that I tried moving my legs but I found them incapable of doing so despite being free of restraints. Then, a voice came out of the darkness --- I never found its source but it sounded so enchanting, so very _convincing_. The voice said, 'Get up, Urumi-san' but I could not. Then it said, 'I need your Alice; I need you.'"

Urumi's visible lavender eye had taken on a dreamy, glazed look. Her "answers" were turning into her life's stories. I wasn't exactly sure if I wanted to listen any more at this point on but I did anyway.

Aoshi-san seemed to be growing uncomfortable with Urumi's grandmother story as well as his shoulders drooped slightly from fatigue. "Hurry up, Tenaka," he growled. "I've still got six more questions for you."

"Yes sir," Urumi drawled timidly. "The voice introduced itself as the All-Seeing Eye and introduced a deal to me: give him my Alice's assistance in the future and he shall give me back the legs I lost. I had no choice but to say yes. After that incident, I kept hearing his wonderful voice in my head and, eventually I complied to the All-Seeing Eye's requests."

Finally, another "vein" dropped off from Urumi's neck.

Quietly, Aoshi-san asked, "Sixth question: what did the All-Seeing Eye mean by wanting your Alice?"

Urumi smiled maniacally. "In the Academy, the higher-ups saw my special ability as nothing more but a useful tool in the medical field but the All-Seeing Eye saw my ability's potential in a far greater field ---- he said with it, I could assist him in world domination."

My eyes widened. So the All-Seeing Eye's true goal is not to demolish the Alice Academy but to _conquer the world_? And by using Alices? A bit too ambitious, don't you think? It's a crude mission, if you ask me. I had my doubts about Urumi's answer --- perhaps her "master" was deceiving her.

A brief glance around the room told me that Koko, Natsume, Aoshi-san and Narumi-sensei were as tastelessly shocked as I was.

Sighing, Aoshi-san prompted, "Seventh question: what did _the All-Seeing Eye_ want from Yuka Azumi?"

Upon hearing that name coming from my father's lips, I gasped. Natsume let go of my hand and snaked his arm over to my shoulder, pulling my closer to him in comfort. I frantically glanced at Narumi-sensei's face, searching his eyes for confirmation of my suspicions. The amethyst-eyed older man smiled sadly and nodded wearily at me. I felt tears spring forth from my olive pools as I brought my hands up to my face. I pinched my cheeks a few times to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

Yuka Azumi: my mother.

More attentive than ever, I focused my attention on Urumi, staring at her a little more intensely than I intended as she opened her mouth to speak. "The All-Seeing Eye wanted her Nullifying Alice, simple as that."

The seventh appendage relinquished its roots and dropped from Urumi's neck limply.

The tension that had risen in the air quickly dissipated after Urumi once again closed her mouth. Narumi-sensei, my father and I were visibly disappointed at such a lacklustre answer. I was not entirely naïve ---- I already figured that "the All-Seeing Eye" wanted people for their Alices.

Through gritted teeth, Aoshi-san spat out, "Care to elaborate, Tenaka?" It was useless though; the "vein" had already dropped from the horrible woman's neck so we couldn't get anything more out of her for that question.

Laughing hollowly, the manic grin returned to Urumi's face as she sneered, "You and I both know that that's all you're ever going to know for now, Yuki-chan. Besides, you wanted short answers, right? I'm just giving you what you want."

Aoshi-san furrowed his eyebrows in frustration. Shoot, we wasted one question. Four more left. "Fine," my father snarled venomously, tightening his lethal grip on the truth eliciting instrument, causing the dark-haired traitor to scream once more. "Eighth: _why_ did _the All-Seeing Eye _want Yuka Azumi's Nullifying Alice?"

Urumi said monotonously, "To use it to control people of course. The All-Seeing Eye is not so crude as to use beastly, physical and crude methods like _war_ to gain control over territories. He is subtler by using others with influential powers to win puppets over."

The eighth "vein" dropped off.

I couldn't help but nod at that; the black smoke controlling Natsume was definitely "subtle" in a sense that it didn't require infiltration or kidnapping a person. So far, we had gained two dire pieces of information from Urumi --- one: "the All-Seeing Eye" was collecting Alices for world domination. Two: he was planning to take over the world by manipulating the minds of others.

I glanced uneasily at my father. We only had three more questions left --- we had to be very careful. I clutched at the soft, black material of Natsume's sweater as I anticipated the next question. Natsume squeezed my shoulder reassuringly in return. I supposed we kind of looked like an anxious couple waiting for their son/daughter-turned-criminal's verdict in court.

Aoshi-san dragged a long sigh as he closed his eyes in painful contemplation. Save for Aoshi-san's demands and Urumi's ramblings, the pin-drop silence in the headmaster's vast office was constant. "Ninth question," my father finally said, "where is the All-Seeing Eye located?"

"I'm afraid I do not know," Urumi answered immediately. "No one knows where his physical presence is located --- he contacts his ah, _connections_ from afar by intangible means."

Another "vein" dropped off, meaning that the horrible woman wasn't lying. Shoot, how could we locate this charlatan?

"Yuki," Narumi-sensei interjected. "You've only got two more questions left and you're tiring out. Be very careful."

"Narumi-sensei," I blurted out, unable to keep my curiosity reigned in anymore. "Ano, how does Aoshi-san's Alice work?"

"Oh, Mikan," Narumi-sensei blinked at me as though seeing me for the first time. "Well, first, he has to find something long that he can channel energy through --- a kind of bond that connects his fist to his opponents body as he channels his Alice through his palm. Your father's Alice enables him to ask absolutely _any_ question _and _get the answer to it, granted that the person he is interrogating knows the answer. Also, depending on how much of his Alice's power is being expended, he can get more information from the person he is interrogating. For example, did you notice that Urumi's answers were longer and more detailed towards the beginning?" I nodded. "That is because Aoshi-san was at full power at the moment of inquisition."

Eyeing my sweating father warily, the blond teacher continued to explain, "However, there are limits to his power. The more questions he asks, the more he has to expend his Alice. He needs to dish out even more power if he wants elaborate, well-detailed answers. Also, Yuki's Alice is the kind that shortens his life span every time he uses it."

"Oh," I muttered, nodding dumbly. What a complicated Alice… But a rather frightening one too. Imagine extorting national secrets from the world's greatest figureheads and politicians… No wonder my father was classified as a Dangerous Ability Type and his life span was affected too, just like Natsume…

Eyes practically popping out of my sockets, I waved my arms gamely at Aoshi-san. "I'm sorry, Father!" I cried. "I know you're in pain, sorry… Can we continue?"

Aoshi-san smiled tiredly at me. "It's good that you're curious." He added in a whisper, "Just like me…

"In any case, let's continue. I don't have much energy left anyway." Aoshi-san took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the dishevelled necktie, newfound resolve burning in his emerald irises. "Tenth question: was it the All-Seeing Eye who brought Yuka and I together?"

Once more, Urumi answered immediately. "It was. The All-Seeing Eye wanted the two of you --- Inquisition Alice and Nullifying Alice --- to produce a child for him. This child is special; the possibilities of manipulating her Alice are limitless, especially since she came from two very powerful benefactors."

What?

My parents were forced?

They didn't fall in love naturally like Aoshi-san said? Why did he lie to me? Or rather, I'm sure he didn't know it himself to begin with.

The second last "vein" shrivelled away, leaving us with only one more question and one more truth.

"The eleventh and final question," Aoshi-san's voice trembled. "Why does the All-Seeing Eye want Mikan?"

"The Nullifying Alice is a wonderful thing," Urumi answered. "There must be hundreds in the world that don't even know they possess it because they've never been around Alices before to utilise it. The Nullifying Alice is the All-Seeing Eye's greatest asset. With it, he can never be caught and he is able to manipulate others from distances as no one will ever be able to trace the source; the Nullifying Alice covers up the trails."

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I stopped talking and took a sip of tea.

"Are you done, Mikan?" Yuu asked gently.

I shook my head. "No, there's still a little bit more left."

I smiled weakly at my friends. Urumi's last few words were still etched vividly in my mind. Anyway, back to my recollection.

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"Mikan is probably the most powerful Nullifying Alice in the world," Urumi continued monotonously, "since the sources of her power are Yuki Aoshi and Yuka Azumi. Moreover, she has gone through special training. The All-Seeing Eye wanted to use her as his most lethal weapon against humanity. That is the whole point of her ever being born in this world."

The "vein" hadn't dropped yet so Koko, Aoshi-san, Narumi-sensei, Natsume and I waited with bated breath for the last bit of her answer.

"She is to replace her mother because Yuka Azumi is dying."

And the vein dropped off.

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**To be continued...**

Reviews are much appreciated. They are also my motivation for writing faster -snigger-

Ehhh. That was a pretty lame cliffhanger in my opinion. The "world domination" thing is so cliche, I know.


	13. Where It Hurts The Most

Sorry I'm half an hour late. Did you notice the similarity between the names of Mikan's parents? Yuki Aoshi and Yuka Azumi --- I'm sorry, that was entirely coincidental. I tend to make up names on the spot and "Yuki Aoshi" just popped into my head while I was writing and it wasn't after I wrote their names side-by-side last chapter that I noticed.

Please, please don't be a ghost reader.

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**Two Quarters And A Heart Down  
****13: Where It Hurts The Most  
**\\\\\

Save for Natsume, Narumi-sensei, Koko and Aoshi-san, six stunned faces stared back at me. Hotaru's slightly raised eyebrows, which were apparently the extent of her shock, was nothing (since she's the "ice queen") compared to the gaping faces of Ruka, Yuu, Sumire, Kenta and Hiro.

Seeing as none of the "spectators" was in any sane mental state to voice his or her opinion on the matter, Hotaru stepped in. "That still doesn't explain the blood."

"True," I concurred, slowly sipping my tea. I assessed my friends' faces over the rim of my teacup. "Shall I continue?"

Hiro sat up a little straighter. "Please do."

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The dishevelled remains of what used to be Aoshi-san's tie fell away from their lethal grip on Urumi's neck. She was free.

And she had survived; meaning that she had indeed answered the questions to the extent of her knowledge on the matter.

Once free from her restraints, Urumi wheezed as her knees buckled. Saliva dribbled down her chin as she struggled to take in air to breathe. Aoshi-san dropped his end of the mangled necktie and fell over. I immediately broke away from Natsume's grip to steady my father. Narumi-sensei and I rushed to his side and led him over to the plush leather sofa to rest. His incredible Alice must have drained him.

"Mikan-chan," Narumi-sensei said curtly, nodding towards a small table situated in a corner of the vast room. A pitcher of water and two glasses were atop it. "Please get some water for Yuki to drink." I complied swiftly.

As I handed my father his much-needed glass of water, Urumi seemed to have gotten her second wind back. Crouching slightly and clutching her heart, she spat out, "You guys… aren't very bright, are you?" We didn't miss the lethal gleam in her lavender eye.

Koko backed away further from the demented woman in case she tried to attack him again. Natsume dashed in front of Koko and got into a battle stance, ready to retaliate if Urumi was ever stupid enough to aggress us in her weakened state. I ran to Natsume's side, ready to defend.

However, the dark-haired woman was unfazed as she belched out a resounding, hearty laugh. "No good. There's no way in hell Kuro Neko-kun could ever defeat me at his current level. I'm better than Persona after all," she cooed. "Sakura-san, don't forget: I created your fighting skills. I can take you out anytime I want to."

A low growl escaped Natsume's throat. Urumi's hand was hovering slightly above her right hip, as though ready to unsheathe a concealed knife. I dug my right boot into the soft carpet, preparing myself for a quick dash to disarm her if my suspicions were correct.

Eyes narrowed, Narumi-sensei's indignant voice cried out, "Exactly what do you mean by 'stupid', Tenaka?"

Urumi's thin lips curled into a sneer. "So, you found out that I work for the All-Seeing Eye so your main prerogative became finding out my master's intentions, correct?"

Struggling to make his narrowed emerald pupils meet Urumi's gleaming purple eye, Aoshi-san sputtered, "Of course. I am one of three Headmasters of the Alice Academy. Our job is to protect our students from the greater threats, not to have our insight clouded by petty vendettas." He smirked in satisfaction upon the look of flushed indignation on the dark-haired woman's face.

However, her frown turned into a sinister smile. "Oh? Is that so, Aoshi-sama? But that does not disprove the fact that you are still an emotional and naïve fool. I thought you got over Yuka ages ago, no? So then, why do you want to know so much about what she's doing with her life now? Ah, does it still hurt, Aoshi-sama? What do you call it… ah, your _heart_? You're an emotional fool, Aoshi. You can't keep hiding behind your big desk and fancy title forever."

I gulped down the lump that had formed in my throat. I was determined not to let Urumi out of my sight.

"So what if I couldn't resist your Alice?" Urumi drawled callously. "So what if you managed to squeeze a few bits of information from me? I'm just a pawn in this game, after all. I'm not particularly close to the All-Seeing Eye. My answers were based on rumours spread through the anti-establishment grapevine. It's stupid to even try interrogating me because you can't be sure the information is accurate."

Koko gasped in astonishment and all eyes swivelled to the sandy-haired boy, whose eyes were wide with shock. "She's lying!" he exposed. "I can read her mind. The truth is the All-Seeing Eye himself told her that through telepathy! She is the only one of his minions that has successfully infiltrated the Academy to this point so she's the one closest to Mikan. All her orders are directly from him!"

Aoshi-san chuckled weakly. "A pathetic attempt to save whatever's left of your pride, Tenaka."

I couldn't help but wag my forefinger at her. "Tsk tsk," I chided smugly. "Bad Urumi-san. You've betrayed your master. What will you do about it? He'll be so angry with you!"

Urumi's seemingly defiant but weak visage crumbled. "I only betrayed the Academy!" she hissed angrily, her lavender pupil dilating. "I will remain true to my master to the very end! Damn the Academy!"

"Oh no, you don't!" Aoshi-san yelled. He hurriedly got to his feet, panic evident in his emerald eyes. "Mikan, Hyuuga --- restrain her!"

Urumi began screaming; an ear-splitting, blood-curdling shriek coming from the pit of her stomach as she turned her face heavenward. It seemed as though her emotions had overcome her and thus losing her sanity. Whatever was left of it, anyway. Natsume and I closed the gap between her and us and clutched each of her arms. We pinned them firmly to her sides as Aoshi-san fumbled with the belt on his pants.

It was my turn to gasp as foam started rising up from Urumi's mouth. Had the woman gone rabid? At that point, I was genuinely scared. What if she tried to bite me? Especially since I was this close to her! My pupils must have been as large as saucers.

"I've got more questions for you!" Aoshi-san choked out as he pushed Narumi-sensei away from him and cracked his belt like a whip, aiming for a part of her body…

…but it didn't work out.

With another scream and a mighty burst of rage-induced strength, Urumi forcefully raised her arms and pushed me roughly onto the ground while she elbowed Natsume in the gut. The temporary distraction and recoil was enough for her to bat away Aoshi-san's belt and jump a few metres out of immediate reach.

"I said before that the higher-ups had an Alice control device implanted inside me, no?" Urumi's voice had transformed into a dangerously low hiss. "Do you know where it is?"

All mouths were hanging open in sickening, agonised anticipation as our wide open eyes followed the path that her hand made. From its crouched position above her right hip, it gracefully drew upwards to her face and parted the dark portion of hair concealing her right eye to reveal a gleaming green orb where her eyeball should have been.

Koko, Natsume, Narumi-sensei, Aoshi-san and I simultaneously let out gasps that we hadn't known we were holding in. Kuso, was Urumi going to do what I thought she was?

I winced inwardly as my sneaking suspicion turned out to be true. Urumi, with her thumb, forefinger and middle finger, tentatively eased out the green ball (the Alice control device). Skin and blood made a sickening vacuum noise at the disturbing contact. Yuck!

"This is my penance! I will remain true to the All-Seeing Eye!" Urumi declared before completely pulling out the green orb from her right eye socket.

And so, with her Alice unlocked, all hell broke loose.

Well, that's one way to put it dramatically, I guess.

To be honest, the bloody Armageddon didn't begin quite as suddenly as that.

First, as we all watched like gaping idiots, thick trails of blood began oozing out of Urumi's eye socket and down her face. After the first few globs of the red human lava dripped off her chin and stained her black robes and the carpet we were standing on, the blood seized to pour out in trickles (well the cascades of blood seemed like trickles compared to this) and everything came out all at once.

Yes, it seemed like all the blood that her body contained were all being squeezed and accumulated to exit through only one escape point --- her tiny right eye socket. Aoshi-san's vast office room was once again filled with intervals of the demented woman's hysterical screaming and maniacal laughter as impossibly ample amounts of blood swished on the floor around her. The thick, viscous red stuff swirled around her and created a spherical blood barrier between her and us.

"I can hear it!" Koko roared over the cacophony of the demented abomination's laughter and screams and her blood sounding akin to pounding waves at the ocean. The metallic scent of human blood forcefully invaded our nostrils.

"What?" Natsume glowered as a stray drop of blood landed on his tongue, causing him to spit violently. I would've laughed at his untimely fall from grace if I weren't so busy trying to back away from the rapidly growing blood sphere barrier. I stole peeks behind me to check on my two fathers --- Narumi-sensei was supporting Aoshi-san while they limped away to find a safe place from the Blood Control Alice.

"I can hear it!" Koko bellowed, cradling his head with his arms as he tripped over a lump in the carpet and landed brusquely on his buttocks. "The All-Seeing Eye! I can hear his voice! He's talking to Urumi!"

This time, we all heard Koko. "What is he saying?" Aoshi-san demanded.

"'You've done well, Urumi-san,'" Koko quoted. "'You've been very loyal to me. Yes, take your own life for succumbing to our enemies. Give you life to our cause!'"

Pure, unadulterated fear lingered in Koko's amber eyes as he shook his head wildly. "The voice… It doesn't care about Urumi's life, or any of its followers' lives. I don't get it…" He groaned as he squeezed his head in a futile attempt to cancel his Mind Reading Alice. "Make it stop… Make it stop…"

Poor Koko… I wanted to reach out to comfort him but he was so far away. But I couldn't just stand around while my dear friend was being tormented! Taking a deep breath, I made a beeline for my amber-eyed classmate.

"Oi, Baka!" snarled Natsume from my left, heightening my awareness for a moment as I narrowly missed being hit by the bloody sphere by barely an inch. Who knows what could have happened if I was hit by that… thing?

"Thanks," I yelled as I grabbed Koko's arm and threw it over my shoulder to bring the trembling boy to his feet.

"Mikan! Over here!" Narumi-sensei gestured wildly for us to hide under Aoshi-san's vast wooden table. I nodded and began dragging Koko over there, who seemed to be having a headache. Feeling a sense of foreboding overcome my instincts, I gingerly turned around to find the bloody sphere growing closer to Koko and me.

Natsume quickly pushed me forward and I landed gruffly on the rough carpeted floor, getting the wind knocked out of me as Koko's weight crashed on top of my body. However, as suddenly as the impact had come, Koko's weight was lifted off me as Natsume slung the poor boy over his shoulder like a sack of rice and haphazardly grabbed my hand and dragged me to the room "shelter".

"Baka," he repeated once we were safely under the wooden desk with Narumi-sensei and Aoshi-san. I was crudely pushed into a seating position next to my father.

"Thank you, Natsume," I gushed sincerely. I only received an annoyed grunt in response but I didn't miss the faint shade of pink creeping onto the ruby-eyed teen's cheeks.

We could hear the sound of the swishing blood looming closer and closer… What was going to happen to us when the blood and the wooden desk came into contact?

I didn't have to wonder very long though; Narumi-sensei poked his head out from under the desk and all but screamed, "It's coming! Brace yourselves!"

I latched myself onto Aoshi-san's arm and closed my eyes, preparing for the worst. We felt some kind of large force hit the wooden desk (_thump_) then the crashing sound of waves turned into the noisy torrent of innumerable needles of rain.

When I dared to open my eyes and look, I saw nothing but red raindrops soaking the carpeted floor through the small opening from the desk. Next, we saw a red blur --- a shade darker than the red of the rain --- crash through the window, blood raining after it. We could only assume that that figure was Urumi, who had taken her own life.

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"And after a while," I said, munching on a biscuit, thankful that "my long story" was finally over, "it stopped raining blood and then that was when you guys came. Oh, and we never found her body," I added as an afterthought.

Aoshi-san, Narumi-sensei, Natsume, Koko, Hotaru, Ruka, Yuu, Sumire, Kenta and Hiro blinked at me as I swiped my long-coveted teddy bear-shaped cookie from under Hotaru's nose. Haha, I bet she never saw it coming!

Ruka was the first to react. "And… you're okay with it?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I had a long day. I'm tired. We're all tired. I don't want to think about this anymore today."

Murmurs of mutual agreement were exchanged and Aoshi-san, the authority figure of this gathering, stood up to dismiss us.

"Just because of these seemingly world-shattering revelations," he cleared his throat, "this is no excuse to miss your lessons tomorrow morning. Students are students because they go to school. Now, all of you go to bed. Narumi and I will clean up here."

The students murmured their wary thanks as we all stood up to leave. I giggled at the blond man and I noticed the ghost of a smile tugging on Natsume's lips as his crimson eyes traced my olive gaze.

"Oh, Narumi-sensei," I called out sweetly. "I think you wet your pants."

"I'm going to make a fortune," Hotaru announced softly, whipping out her "best friend".

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We walked out of the forest clearing in relative silence. Save for hushed personal chit-chat and the occasional yawns (from Kenta), all was silent in accordance with the night. Only the chirping of the crickets filled the air.

I looked sheepishly at our strange little group: Kenta was walking in the lead unsteadily, rubbing his eyes every now and then while his kohai Hiro was nervously walking behind me, arms outstretched ready to catch the shorter boy in case he fainted from sleepiness. Koko, Yuu and Sumire were walking side-by-side, careful not to talk about the "incident" in case they aggravated Koko's delicate mental state. Ruka and Natsume were walking together with the former petting his pet rabbit gingerly and the latter (Natsume, not the bunny) was staring absentmindedly at the moon with his hands in his pockets. I was amazed at how he walked with such precision considering he wasn't even looking at where he was going.

Hotaru and I were once again left alone together at the back of the group.

Hotaru was reviewing the pictures of Narumi-sensei (the "pee" on his pants was actually the spilt tea from earlier on) on her digital camera while muttering business plans to herself.

I found myself smiling wistfully as I stared at Hotaru. Oh, how I missed my Ho-chan-sama!

"Hotaru," I interjected softly, afraid she might fly off the handle at me since I interrupted her moneymaking schemes.

"Mikan," Hotaru echoed my tone. "What is it?"

"Can I sleep with you tonight?"

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Breathing in the soft, vanilla-like scent of Hotaru's silky white pyjamas, I hugged my pillow tighter and sighed contentedly. How long has it been since I last slept with my best friend?

"Silly Mikan," Hotaru said monotonously, climbing into her four-poster bed and settling beside me. She switched off the bedside lamp so now only the moonlight shining through her window was the only source of light. "Don't you feel anything about your trainer being dead?"

I frowned and buried my face into the pillow, inhaling the scent of Hotaru's shampoo. "Honestly, I'm happy about it. But who really cares," I muttered as sleep began tugging at my senses.

"She's already dead."

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**To be continued...**

Reviews are much appreciated. PLEASE DO NOT BE A GHOST READER.

No updates until Thursday or Friday the earliest, I'm afraid.


	14. Saviour

Alright, dedications --- haven't done that in a while! This chapter is dedicated to **SWEETSWIRLYPOP** for being so incredible by actually reading thirteen chapters in one go! Also, I'd like to welcome and thank "new" readers --- drop a review, please? Even if you're reading this story in 2011, please leave a review if you've enjoyed it so far (:

Well, this chapter was fun to write, a kind of "break" from the dark stuff. I was reading _Romeo and Juliet_ (Literature 2007) before I began writing this chapter so all the kissing scenes kinda left an imprint in my head... Hehe. Well, after the silly canoodling (NxM fluff, maybe?) in this chapter, Aoshi-san steps in once more and marks the beginning of the end...

On a lighter note, there's a special guest appearance of the famous broom closet from SnowMirage's G For Girlfriend! Hope you don't mind? (:

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**Two Quarters And A Heart Down  
14: Saviour**  
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Nine days.

It had been exactly nine days since I set foot on Academy grounds again --- meaning it was Wednesday already, one week after Urumi's betrayal.

As soon as I had returned to what I had hoped to be a "normal" life at the Academy, I was thrust into a dark world of betrayal and dubious relationships. Now that things had more or less cooled down, life felt terribly bored and sluggish for me.

I found it weird to be sitting still and simply _studying_ for nearly eight hours a day compared to my physically active lifestyle on The Black Hole. There were days when I found myself staring out of the window during classes (except Jin-Jin's, no need to guess why) and gazing longingly at the lush greenery of the Northern Forest. Oh, what I would give to go for a nice, long run to stretch my legs…

But _damn_, I didn't mean to get exercise _this way!_

My breath came out in short puffs as I willed my tired boot-clad legs to run faster and further away from the _mob_ that was after me.

_Damn Natsume._

_Damn his fangirls, too._

I couldn't care less where the hell my feet were taking me --- all I wanted to do was to get as far away as possible from the crazy, Hyuuga-infatuated, hormonally-driven Natsume fangirls and their (threatening) makeshift weapons, which consisted of filthy mops and brooms, mallets and even knives nicked from the Home Economics kitchens. Sadly, their cries of "How dare you steal Natsume-kun!" and "Sakura you slut!" (I am proud to say that not once have I slept with him --- I'm not that type of girl! But like hell they'd believe me) weren't getting any fainter. If ever, they were only getting louder!

To my utter horror, as I haphazardly jumped down a whole flight of stairs, the door of an innocent-looking broom closet (barely noticeable next to the staircase) opened and an arm reached out for me.

_Shit_, I thought, breaking into cold sweat as the arm groped my uniform collar, _I've been ambushed. I'm going to die now._

The mysterious, disembodied hand brusquely pulled me inside and I fell onto the floor, my butt making contact with the cold, hard, stony floor. Light exited as the small door abruptly closed with a _click_ (that dreadful feeling of ominous finality), disabling me from seeing the owner of the hand that "saved" me from the rabid Natsume Hyuuga fangirls (so I could be this person's personal punching bag?).

I squinted in the dark to try and make out whom my new torturer was. In the mingling shadows of the supply closet, I watched in terror as my "saviour" loomed forebodingly over me like a hulk of sorts.

I threw my arms up in defence as I muttered silent goodbyes to my darling friends. _Bye, Dad. Bye, Naru-sen. Bye, Ho-chan-sama. Bye, Natsume. Bye Ruka-pyon. Bye, Iinchou. Bye, Permy_. _Bye, Ko –_

"Oi, baka," my _saviour_'s voice drawled. It was decidedly masculine. "You're so useless. With your Alice, you should've automatically known it was me."

My eyes widened as the familiar presence of Fire Alice welled up within me. A small fire sparked in the room and light immediately filled the dingy closet. The light was coming from a large, fat candle sitting wanly on the grey floor, its melted, waxy borders evident that it had been used several times before. I noted the musky, orange scent it gave off.

Natsume sat cross-legged opposite me and grunted to divert my attention away from the candle. A faint blush crept on his cheeks and he refused to make eye contact with me. It looked like he had come here to hide from the rabid mob of fangirls, too.

I smirked at him --- he was showing weakness! "Imagine that," I said bemusedly, "the feared Natsume Hyuuga carries around _scented candles_. It's so _kawaii_. I should tell Hotaru about this!"

In the light of the flickering candle flame, Natsume's crimson eyes grew wide as he glared at me, his jaw slack in horror. Pressing his thin lips into a straight line, he said flatly, "It helps me light the darkness of this broom closet. I come here a lot to escape those insane females."

"They're like, in love with you, you know," I said nonchalantly, twirling an auburn lock with my forefinger.

Natsume growled. "All the better to avoid those airheads."

I leaned forward. "But you don't ignore _me_, Natsume-kun. You once called me an airhead too, you know."

Instead of colour rushing to his tanned cheeks, Natsume smugly replied, "So you're saying you're in love with me then?"

It was my turn to blush. I broke eye contact and focused my attention on a cobweb on the ceiling. "I couldn't help but notice that your candle smells like oranges." My voice was squeaky and high-pitched for some reason. Why do my facades simply crumble when I'm with this guy?

"Because," Natsume began in a low voice --- like his baritone can get any lower --- it just makes him sound sexier! AAGGH! I shouldn't be thinking of such perverted things! --- and, before I knew it his face was only mere inches away from mine. His warm, moist breath tickled my lips as he spoke, "the smell of oranges remind me of you. You dispel the darkness and bring light to me."

I flushed even deeper. Natsume had somehow snaked his right arm around my waist and I saw his lips curl into a smirk at how my back suddenly straightened with tension. Seeing that idiotic leer on his face, I refused to let him have the satisfaction of making me feel so flustered like that!

Natsume pressed the small of my back, closing the distance between our lips but I broke away before our lips could so much as brush against each other.

I brought a finger to his lips and gently shushed his indignant protestations; I could almost imagine a wicked gleam possess my eyes as I carried out my "revenge".

I gingerly caressed his left cheek with my fingertips, leaning dangerously close into his face as though I were going for a kiss, which I was not. "Did you miss me that much, Natsume?" He didn't move.

I placed my head in the crook between his neck and shoulders, allowing some loose strands of hazel hair to fall over his chest and shoulders. "Natsume…" I breathed, wrapping my arms around his neck and raising my head to nip at his earlobe playfully.

Natsume's back was ramrod straight and his ears were red. I suppressed a giggled as he tentatively returned my embrace. I blew teasingly into his ear and he shuddered. I'm such a sadist, I know.

I drew back from his neck as I peered into his face. His arms were loosely clasped at my waist and his raven bangs were hiding his ruby-like eyes, masking whatever emotions he was currently feeling. Smirking, I leaned forward and nibbled on his lower lip. "Sorry, but I have to go now," I murmured in the sexiest voice I could muster. I tried to make it sound low and lustful to tease the raven-haired boy and, as I stood up to leave oh-so casually, a glance at his astonished sanguine features and wide crimson eyes told me that my "acting" had worked perfectly.

Or so I thought.

Before I could even so much as touch the doorknob, Natsume yanked on my skirt forcefully and a ripping sound reverberated throughout the small room.

Flabbergasted, I turned around sharply to scream at the boy who had ripped my skirt for the second time in the space of a week but I didn't have time to do so. Before I knew it, Natsume karate chopped the back of my thighs and my knees buckled, allowing him to flip me over on the floor and tower over me menacingly. Any shrieks of righteous indignation were quickly silenced as his hungry lips captured mine.

When Natsume finally broke away, I stared at him with a deadpan expression on my face. "Jeez," I muttered, "are all teenage boys this lustful?"

"It's your fault," Natsume murmured back, his hands on either side of my head to support himself as he gazed down at me. "How do you think I feel when you go around doing that to me, with your clothes like _that_."

I was confused. The "doing that to me" part I got but what did he mean by the last part? My clothes… My eyes instantly trailed over to my blouse…

Which was unbuttoned to reveal…

… my (insert imaginative lingerie pattern here) bra!

I screamed hysterically and thrashed about wildly from under Natsume, who held my wrists loosely as I tried to punch him. He looked bored and amused at the same time.

Every time I try and get revenge on this guy… Why do my plans always backfire? Why, Kami-sama? Why? Is it Murphy's Law?

"You don't have much to show but you can seriously turn a guy on like that," Natsume drawled.

"Hentai!" I screeched. "I didn't do this on purpose! Your crazy fangirls cornered me in the hallway and _clawed_ at me!" I lost my blazer in the fray, too.

"I thought they were part of the Natsume Hyuuga fanclub," he drawled amusedly. "I didn't think they were the lesbian type."

I screamed in annoyance. "AHOU!" I snarled furiously. "They're not that type! They wanted my head on a silver platter and IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

One sardonic eyebrow arched.

A vein in my temple throbbed.

"During lunch --- you shouldn't have just slammed me against the pillar and kissed me like that! We were in the hallway! Now the whole school knows we're… you know…"

"An item? A couple?" Natsume's smirk had returned. "Boyfriend and girlfriend? Lovers?" He began leaving smirching my jawline and cheek with butterfly kisses, completely ignoring my woes. Stupid men and their libido.

"GAAAAAH!" I growled in frustration. "You shouldn't have kissed me in public like that! I'm now at the top of your stupid fangirls' hitlist! My life is now considerably shortened, thanks to you!"

Natsume continued to ignore my screams of protest so I began yelling to get his attention. "NATSUME YOU BIG BAKA! There was this one girl who had some kind of Strength Alice and she hit me! I mean, I'm used to Urumi beating me around but that HURT! Don't you care?" I whimpered.

Natsume only grunted in response and I shrieked as his cold hands crept up my skirt. "Big, big baka…" I said through gritted teeth. "I'm getting hurt because of you…" I tried to shove him off me but he simply held my arms down.

Not that I really minded. The part about getting hurt, I mean. To be honest, that brute of a girl's punch wasn't that much but I was tired, stressed and right now, very, very confused with my hormones so it's not my fault if I'm being all whiny right now.

I heard footsteps and female voices approach our closet.

"…maybe they're in here."

"I'm gonna rescue Natsume-kun…"

I tried to warn Natsume about the "intruders" (probably a bunch of his fangirls) but when I opened my mouth, the involuntary moan I'd been struggling to bite back came out, much to Natsume's amusement and to my chagrin.

Hey, I'm not used to being um, _touched_ that way. I may have seen the ugliness of humanity but I'm still _naïve_ in some ways!

"People outside," I hurriedly whispered and Natsume stopped whatever perverted thing he was doing and froze, eyes trained at the door.

"Ohmigosh. Did you just hear that… that… moan?"

"And before that I heard _that girl_ say stuff like 'big' and 'hurts'…"

"And she was definitely calling out Natsume-kun's name!"

"OHMIGOSH! THEY'RE HAVING SEX!"

"OH NO! SHE CAN'T TAKE AWAY NATSUME-KUN'S VIRGINITY! HE'S MEANT TO BE PURE!"

"Quick, break the door down!"

I felt all blood drain from my face as I realised how we must look like to other people, especially to Natsume's insanely jealous and stupid fangirls. I mean, Natsume was _on top_ of me, gripping my wrists and straddling my waist. And those bimbos would boil me alive: my ripped skirt (thanks to Natsume) was lying in a forgotten heap on the cold floor somewhere leaving me exposed in my blue panties with the duck prints! I don't even want to think about what bloody murderous plot they were going to come up with when they saw my blouse was half-unbuttoned.

I glared at Natsume, who was looking at me with that same, sadistic amusement aflutter on his features.

"This is all your fault," I stated.

"I know."

The door creaked as something heavy and solid (a sledgehammer?) collided with the wooden façade. One more hit and we were going to be discovered.

Suddenly, a new set of footsteps --- sure and striding --- was heard and Sumire's haughty voice filled the air. "What is going on here, Hawaki? Miho?"

"Oh, Shouda-san. Ano…"

I gulped and began an optical search for my skirt in a last minute attempt to make myself look innocent, which I was. Half-innocent for my predicament, that is.

Oh, Permy, buy me some time would ya?

I found my skirt near Natsume's candle but I couldn't budge for Natsume was still on top of me, unmoving. It was like he _wanted_ his fangirls to find him like this! Like hell they'd take it as a signal to back off from him… It'll only make my situation worse!

I glared at my ruby-eyed "boyfriend".

"I am going to kill you for this."

"I know."

The door opened and the sudden sunlight blinded us temporarily. However, I was sure I was going to go deaf when I heard Sumire's glass shattering, blood-curdling, eerie shriek.

"OH MY GAWD. MIKAN RAPED NATSUME-KUN!"

Half a dozen fangirls promptly collapsed in a dead faint.

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I wasn't flustered, humiliated or embarrassed --- I was beyond all of those already.

If Narumi-sensei hadn't come by to save me from the wrath of the fangirls who had regained consciousness, then I'm sure I wouldn't be breathing right about now.

I glared at Natsume, who was sitting across from me nonchalantly (Naru-sen also had to save him) in the cosy living room, regarding me coolly with those crimson eyes of his… I downed another cup of warm tea to pacify my anger. Narumi-sensei was baking a batch of cookies in the kitchen --- we were in his house, currently waiting for Aoshi-san. We couldn't talk in his office because it was probably still undergoing renovations.

When I had woken up in Hotaru's room on Thursday morning last week, she was already gone and cooped up in her lab. I didn't see much of her at all as the days flew by; Iinchou said that she was probably catching up on enhancing her inventions. I smiled at that and made a mental note not to disturb her while she was busy. That didn't stop me from missing my best friend, though.

However, what I didn't expect was that Aoshi-san locked himself away from "the world" too. I assumed he had gone to the hospital to recover from his Alice's after effects but Koko told me that he was "deliberately shutting himself away from the world because he was a failure as a father, as a friend and as a headmaster". Apparently, he had stolen snippets of information from Narumi-sensei's mind.

The doorbell rang and I immediately sprang to my feet, plastering on a chipper smile as I strode to the front door to let Aoshi-san in. "Good afternoon!" I chirped brightly.

Aoshi-san was wearing casual khaki pants and a white polo shirt; his eyebags reflected just how tired and tormented he seemed to be. He smiled at me sadly.

"Mikan, we need to talk."

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One would think I should be panicking after all the "information" I learned last week but I'm not. The old, ten-year-old me would probably be bawling her eyes out right about now but I've learnt that panicking and things like that were just wastes of energy in this situation --- in which you don't really know what's going on.

Should I be more concerned about my mother's approaching death? But how can I if I never even met this person?

I know; she was the woman who gave me life but how can I trust someone who works for the AAO, which was hell-bent on destroying the Academy, a place my friends and I dearly treasure?

Of course I don't miss my mother; I can't miss what I never had.

As for that pagan charlatan the "All-Seeing Eye", I was sure that he wasn't about to take action anytime soon --- especially not after Reo's fiasco last week (the Academy authorities had him under arrest in a special facility in Okinawa). Moreover, I kind of figured that, if the All-Seeing Eye's presence had been haunting the Academy for a long time already, the reason it remained undetected was because of my mother's Nullifying Alice. However, now that she was dying (for reasons unknown), the presence of the All-Seeing Eye was unmasked and thus, it was too risky for him to execute any plans for I could easily trace the source of his Alice.

Those who were present the night of Urumi's betrayal did not talk much about the events that transpired. Perhaps they were afraid of hurting me?

I already knew (sort of) what I had to do but I was more afraid of hurting my friends than anyone else.

I put down my teacup and waited patiently for my father to start talking. I wonder if he was going to discuss those same matters, which I had mulled over already, with me. Narumi-sensei had "kidnapped" Natsume from our discussion, saying that he needed help making the cookie dough.

My father took a sip of tea and set it down on the coffee table between us. He sighed and massaged his temples, eyes closed in contemplation. "Mikan, do you remember what Tenaka said about the All-Seeing Eye's intention to take you as one of his own?"

"Yes," I said quietly. I kind of knew where this was going to lead to; it was a possibility that I had pondered upon a few days ago but wasn't sure how to go through with it.

Aoshi-san sighed again. "Well, because of your Nullifying Alice, that charlatan will resort to physical means to get to you."

I nodded in understanding.

"However, as the Academy's security has been heightened considerably ever since that incident with Reo last week, it would be near impossible for a henchman to infiltrate the campus at this point in time."

I nodded slowly, taking this all in. From Urumi's "confession" last week, I gathered that the All-Seeing Eye used a lot of subtle manipulation to get what he wanted.

"Manipulation," Aoshi-san voiced my thoughts. "That is how that man gets his cronies; he gets into their heads and messes with their thoughts. I have no doubt that this charlatan will use some kind of telepathy to turn students or teachers into his personal puppets to get you."

I licked my lips and took another sip of tea; my throat was parched. "There might be an uprising in the Academy," I said quietly, "if that happened." _If I stayed._

Aoshi-san nodded. "It pains me to say this, Mikan, but I am very concerned for the future of the Academy. However, I cannot ignore my duties as a father to you. I'm sure you've reached this conclusion as well, haven't you? This is for your own safety as well as for the safety of those around you. Do you understand?"

His piercing emerald gaze pinned me as I nodded, self-conscious all of a sudden. "I don't mind doing it," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I kind of knew it all along --- but I had fun here. It was all too good to last it seems. But I really don't mind because I know it's what I have to do."

Aoshi-san smiled at me sadly.

"You need to leave the Academy."

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**To be continued...**

So, Naru-kun's baking yet another batch of cookies! All those who wanted to take that teddy bear-shaped cookie from Mikan, Naru-sen's making new ones for you!

As for those who have wondered what exactly happened to Urumi... You'll find out next chapter.


	15. Secrets

I wasn't going to update today but here I am, posting a new chapter. You have two people to thank --- **SKITTLE-LEE** (she "threatened" me by calling me a son of a bitch haha too bad I'm a girl) and my first-ever kouhai, **LITTLEDOGGY**! This chapter is just for them!

Warning: This chapter was written by a depressed female who was too busy wallowing in misery to edit.

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Two Quarters And A Heart Down  
15: Secrets**  
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I lied.

I mind that I have to leave the Academy --- and so soon, too.

"But," I stuttered, "I've only been back at the Academy for less than two weeks. Wouldn't it be suspicious to the student body if I once again disappear so abruptly?"

"Touché," Aoshi-san smiled. "Very clever. However, that has already been settled. We will devise a fake exchange programme with one of our overseas sister schools. It seems plausible enough."

It took me all of my self-control not to burst into big, fat baby sobs in front of the Headmaster. Taking a deep breath, I calmly asked, "Have you managed to find Urumi's body yet?" When Yuu and Sumire had gone to see Narumi-sensei, they were told that no one had discovered Urumi's body yet (keeping it secret from the student body was such a chore).

Aoshi-san stroked his chin with his right hand, peering at the wall behind me in contemplation. "The incident occurred closest to the Elementary Division building, so we assume that Urumi's prone body should be there. The Elementary Division Headmaster is currently in charge of the search."

"No turnouts yet?"

"According to the latest report, Jinno-sensei's search party has seen thick globs of blood near a copse in the Southern Forest."

"And?" My voice cracked.

"Her elbow was found. Nothing else so far."

"I see," I started fidgeting with my skirt. "Ano… if I leave the Academy, I can't go to a normal school, can I? I mean, if Alices can't resist the All-Seeing Eye's power, then surely normal people can't, right? Anyway, what I mean is… um, I need some kind of certificate. If I ever need it for job applications in the future."

Aoshi-san was quiet for a moment before waving his hand dismissively. "There is no need to worry about that. I can have one made for you. Unless there is a field of specialisation you are interested in?" One elegant, sienna eyebrow cocked at me.

"Specialisation", huh? Alice Academy did not cater to tertiary education --- therefore, there was no such thing as let's say, intensive classes in biology or chemistry unless your Alice pertained to them. The Academy pays a lot of attention in Hotaru's technical Alice because they think she'll be very useful in society after graduation.

And then there are people like Anna-chan and Subaru-san. Subaru-san didn't have to spend a decade in medical school to become a doctor --- his Healing Alice was enough and he even got a job at the campus hospital. As for Anna-chan, her Cooking Alice may not be very useful but it's almost guaranteed that the Alice Bakery in Central Town will offer her pay and lodging after graduation.

My Nullifying Alice… It's not at all very useful in the working world. I cannot continue my education in the Alice Academy nor can I enrol in a normal university… Not while I'm targeted, anyway. How can I learn to be a teacher or even an entrepreneur to make a living if I can't even go to school?

When (or if) this All-Seeing Eye dies down, I guess I have no choice but to work for the Academy's secret corps, training young children like Natsume-kun to become dark operatives for the higher-ups…

In a way, I guess I became the one thing that I despised the most --- someone who was all Alice and nothing else.

"No," I said. "Not really. No particular interest."

"I see," Aoshi-san nodded as though he understood but to me, he didn't. He didn't understand at all. How can a father talk to his daughter so brusquely like this? "I suppose you need some thinking through to do. Try to minimise this information. Do not let it spread for security purposes."

"Oh. Okay."

Aoshi-san's eyebrows furrowed in concern. He leaned forward to peer at me. His cold, clammy hand made its way to my forehead. "Are you alright, Mikan? You seem rather pale. Do you have a fever?"

"I'm peachy," I squeaked.

I stood up, dusting my skirt (I had no idea Narumi-sensei could sew, but then again, nothing should surprise me anymore) and flashing a smile at my father. "I… forgot I had to do something. Sorry. I have to go now. See you."

On my way out, I bumped into Natsume, who was carrying a tray of cookies. I mumbled a quick excuse about pads and napkins before dashing out the front door.

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Under normal circumstances, Hotaru would never have let me into her lab while she was working on an invention, but, after screaming and bawling at her security robot, my best friend realised that this instance was an exception.

Hotaru drifted toward me and gently draped a blanket across my shoulders. "Here," she said, handing me a steaming mug of hot cocoa. "This will warm you up."

"Thank you," I said meekly, taking a sip of the warm, brown liquid. It definitely tasted better compared to all the tea I've been consuming lately. "Ano… It's January already, isn't it? It's strange that it's not snowing yet."

"True," Hotaru concurred, pushing her swivel chair over to the window to pull back the lavender curtains. The lawns outside were still crisp and green, despite piles of dead leaves leftover from autumn.

I glanced at the assortment of spare engine parts, nuts, bolts, screwdrivers and wrenches scattered around Hotaru's record room, where she kept research files for reference. It was like Hotaru-sama's haphazard study. "This strange weather… do you think it has something to do with the All-Seeing Eye? Why hasn't anyone else gotten suspicious?"

"It's good to be paranoid with these goings-on," Hotaru rolled her chair toward me. "However, that is not the case this time. Remember that sempai from the Special Ability Class? The one who could control weather?"

I nodded, recalling that strange friend of Tsubasa's.

"After he graduated, he was recruited by some of the Technical Types as a guinea pig for a weather machine. It seems to be working. Oh, and some of Misaki-sensei's biology elective students are breeding tropical hybrid plants. So, they're trying to keep the snow away this year."

"I see." I giggled softly. Even my sempai with that seemingly useless Alice has made himself useful --- he was making a decent living too, I bet.

Hotaru's piercing, cool, amethyst gaze turned on me. "So, what do you plan to do, Mikan?" Her hawk-like gaze developed talons and snagged me in the heart.

"I was hoping that you would tell me," I admitted weakly.

Hotaru sighed. "Childish baka. I'm glad that I am the first person you chose to confide such a secret in but no matter what advice I give you, you have to make the decision entirely on your own."

"It's not like I have a choice," I said shrilly. "What decision can I make? My life's already been decided for me! Even my birth was planned!"

"Is that how you plan on living the rest of your life?" Hotaru questioned calmly. "Are you just going to go along with what someone else wants? Aren't you going to fight the power?"

I looked away and stared out of the window. "I never asked for any of this. I never even asked to be born," I sobbed. "If I knew my life was going to turn out this way… as someone else's play thing… then I should have died a long time ago! Why didn't I die along with the others six years ago?"

"To never be born?" Hotaru boomed. She sounded angry. "Then do you regret being alive? Do you regret meeting Hyuuga? Do you regret loving your surrogate grandfather? Do you regret knowing the truth?" Her voice lowered to a whisper, barely audible. "Do you regret knowing me? I missed you, you know. I waited and waited. And now you're finally here."

A tear rolled down my cheek as I gazed at Hotaru's downcast face. I gingerly stroked her pale hand, which was pressed flat against her knee. "Oh, Hotaru, I'm sorry. I don't regret it at all. I-I'm just angry, you know? Those things just spilled out of my mouth. I can't control my emotions very well anymore. I guess I really am still a child at sixteen." I laughed feebly.

Hotaru lifted her gaze and stared at me, emotions securely masked and unreadable. When she didn't reply, I continued to ramble, "It's not my fault, though, is it? It's not my fault I was saddled with this particular Nullifying Alice and then sent away to train because of it." I shrugged indifferently, biting my tongue before my accusations started to go wild. I wanted to blame Aoshi-san, too… He wasn't a bad father, really, but the thing was, he was a better headmaster than he was a father.

"I'm just the victim here," I concluded softly.

I looked up, surprised, as Hotaru relinquished her hand from underneath mine and got up. She disappeared behind a bookcase and reappeared on the other side, aiming a gun at me.

_BAKA!_

A tennis ball-like bullet hit me in the head. I winced as I dropped to the floor on my knees, clutching my cranium in a pathetic attempt to soothe the pain. "Hotaru?" I called out softly as she put the gun away and strode over to resume her position on her swivel chair.

"You have changed, Mikan," Hotaru said, staring at me with those indifferent eyes of hers, "and so have I. Let me make one thing very clear, Mikan: I never want to hear those words from your mouth ever again. If you refuse to heed my warning, I can assure you that I will cease to be your acquaintance faster than Ruka Nogi's pictures selling out on a half-price forest sale. Do I make myself clear?"

I could have just submitted to my best friend's wishes but no, I had to be difficult. I was angry --- I came to her crying because I thought she would console me in my time of need; isn't that what friends do? Why was Hotaru treating me like this? Wasn't I important to her? Wasn't I special?

"Look here, Imai! Don't think you can just go on doing that -" I began harshly but I was suddenly cut off by _laughter_.

"That's the spirit I wanted to see," she said softly, smiling gently at me. "I knew you had it in you, Mikan. Why don't you use more of that spirit than being so submissive all the time? You weren't like that before but it's not like you at all to pin the blame on someone else for your own unfortunate life."

I stared at her, bewildered.

Hotaru continued, "You and I both agree that it seems like you've just been going with the flow --- dragged and tossed along according to someone else's wish. You need to fight that, Mikan. This is your own life. You decide how to govern it. When someone else comes along and thinks that they can make your decisions for you, you need to prove them wrong. You need to fight for your own rights; for your own life. You need to go in the direction _you _want, not walk a path half-heartedly just because someone else says it is more beneficial for you."

Messy, hazel bangs shielded my eyes as I bowed my head, resuming my sitting position on the chair I had just vacated. There was truth in Hotaru's words --- strong, clear, loud, ringing chimes echoing in the recesses of my mind. When she stopped talking, I looked at her and nodded to let her know that I understood.

Hotaru's smile grew bigger as she took a sip out of her own mug of hot cocoa. "That said," she said calmly, though elation laced her voice. "Let us review the situation once more. Aoshi-san says that you need to leave the Academy. I can give you four reasons for that.

One: the All-Seeing Eye is after you. Even if you are on the move constantly, that charlatan will surely know your location for his title is already self-explanatory. However, assuming that you are never in the same location twice, physically tracking you down is a hard task, unless that charlatan can turn you into a puff of smoke from afar and suck you into a vacuum-prison. Even if that is true, your Nullifying Alice will surely leave that option void. In a nutshell, it is safer for you if you keep moving locations. Aoshi-san is your father, he is surely worried about your well-being, Mikan. I'm sure it pains him to let go of you especially after father and daughter have finally been reunited after so many years."

I was beyond shocked --- never before has Hotaru said so much. The amount of words she spoke in our previous conversation surely outnumbered those she spoke in a month, possibly. That aside, her words spoke volumes of truth…

In a lighter atmosphere, I could easily imagine myself on my knees, nodding vigorously with a hachimaki tied around my head, and scribbling furiously on a notepad, yelling, "YES, SENSEI!" as I absorbed Hotaru's advice.

"Two: this Black Hole business you told us about… That island's activities infringed countless human rights and child abuse laws. I understand the three Headmasters were duped into believing a more _suitable_ training facility was used by some other higher-up, but this operation was carried out in the Alice Academy's name. Somehow, the Japanese government has discovered this (I have many sources of outside information) and are threatening to close down this establishment. However, since many big-shot companies and politicians are backing this school, the government is threatening to sack the three Headmasters for their negligence. Although they are innocent, they are still the figureheads of this institute. Most of the student body do not know about this Black Hole stuff and there might be a rebellion if the three Headmasters were sacked so suddenly for reasons unknown. It's absolutely scandalous. Also, the government will appoint "more suitable" Headmasters to take their positions --- who knows how they're going to rule our way of life? Moreover, they are outsiders --- followers of the All-Seeing Eye for all we know. Either way, the Academy will throw itself into chaos.

Your father does not want you to be caught in the fray. I do believe you are currently the All-Seeing Eye's priority, no? You could be a very useful distraction if undesirable authority should ever take over this school."

I ignored the stars dancing in Hotaru's eyes as I carefully absorbed and broke down the information she was feeding me. I saw her fingers twitch, as though yearning to grope a bazooka. I shuddered.

"Are you following? Good," Hotaru continued. She was looking very pleased, indeed. "Three: those around you will be in danger if you stay at the Academy --- namely me and your boyfriend. It's already a given that the All-Seeing Eye uses manipulation from afar to get what he wants. If he gets hold of a student's mind --- now, Kokoroyomi-kun will be a rather unfortunate but easily susceptible victim in this case --- or even worse, a teacher, then who can we trust if we do not know who the traitors are? Chaos will ensue and students might even resort to mutiny --- in our weakened state, the All-Seeing Eye can send the Anti-Alice Organisation corps to destroy and capture us easily."

At this point, I was starting to suspect that Hotaru just liked the sound of her voice. She has definitely been paying _a lot_ of attention during History class.

Anyway, that was already a scenario Aoshi-san and I had briefly discussed, though Hotaru had painted the possible future rather extremely. Will the All-Seeing Eye really go to such extents just to get hold of little old me?

I guess he will. If that does happen, he can destroy the Academy too so it's like killing two birds with one stone…

Hotaru took a breath before sipping her hot cocoa noisily. I looked up at her eagerly, anticipating the fourth possibility --- one that I had not yet thought of.

Ignoring the chocolate moustache on her face, my Hotaru-sama continued, "Fourth: due to the recent event with Urumi Tenaka, the Academy has called back all trainers for an inspection. They are currently housed in the Headquarters and are under the Middle School Division Headmaster's watch. They have been here for about two days now and are currently undergoing several rounds of tests and interrogations to weed out more traitors and pagan worshippers. Aoshi-san is still too weak to use his Alice --- my brother said that he might die if he interrogated all the trainers at once" --- Hotaru ignored my gasp --- "so it will take a while to discover any more double agents."

"What's your point, Hotaru?"

My best friend gazed at me coolly. "Though these trainers are under heavy surveillance, if they really are followers of the All-Seeing Eye, then it would be easy for them to break out of their confines to come after you. With them so close, you're in more danger than ever, Mikan.

Think about it: despite the circumstances, two people (Persona and Urumi) have already died with the reason ultimately being you. How many more people will die because of this?"

I nodded, taking Hotaru's gentle accusation in stride. I couldn't ignore the heavy factors leaning against me if I stayed at the Academy --- it would be far less selfish if I did leave. At this point, I cannot be afraid of hurting my friends' feelings anymore --- if I stayed, they wouldn't have any more emotions to be hurt anyway. They could very well die in the possible fray.

Manipulating and corrupting young minds was never to be taken lightly. Look at Urumi --- she committed suicide believing the lies the All-Seeing Eye fed her.

As I mulled over the distasteful possibility of my close friends dying, I had no idea that such demise was looming so close by.

So very, very close.

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**To be continued…**


	16. The Reason

YAY! I CAN FINALLY UPLOAD!

Trust me, folks, this chapter would've been up EONS ago if this website wasn't so screwed. First I couldn't log in and when I finally could, I couldn't upload any documents! Boohoo.

Oh, and I changed my penname.

Just so you know, all of you readers and reviewers out there are AMAZING. You guys really make my day (:

So, I dedicate this chapter to **XO DARK** for literally making my jaw drop! Hahaha I didn't know there was anyone out there who printed out Internet fanfic to read (:

I was pretty depressed when I wrote the previous chapter and when I wrote this, I was just downright angry. Why? I kinda had a fight with my best friend, who has already left Singapore to live somewhere else… and both of us are still too stubborn to apologise.

Anyway, the anger I'm feeling comes out in this chapter. Sorry about that! Also, I've included a list of other stories I wrote in case you're interested. If you like the mysteries and plot in this story, I've got countless ones in my others as well.

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Two Quarters And A Heart Down  
16: The Reason**  
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I was away for six years, locked in a shadowy place by a destiny uncalled for.

Now, playing along with my pre-destined fate, I have to leave again. But for how long, I wonder? My only comfort is that I know my departure is near.

So, I wonder… when I leave, will those left behind be worth coming back to? Would they even want me back in their lives after all the hurt I might have put them through?

I know for sure that Hotaru will always be there for me, waiting. And I will always look forward to seeing her again. Because that's how our weird friendship is… Somehow, we always end up together, perfect, despite our many differences and the misleading events in our lives.

And Natsume?

What was he to me, anyway?

A friend? A lover?

What is he to me anyway? And what am I to him? Why did he wait for me for six years? Am I really that special to him?

I said that I wanted to be the one to take his pain away --- but did I even know what he was going through?

How could I call myself his anything when I don't even know anything about him?

I know nothing.

And that is why I am sitting here on this stale stack of hay, inhaling the smell of pig slop and horse manure while waiting for Ruka to finish feeding the chickens in the barn.

It was a given that Ruka was the only one who knew Natsume inside out, from childhood to present. I heard that Ruka's parents died in the fire Natsume had supposedly caused in his town; that is why it is a marvel to me as to how and why Ruka is still friends with Natsume even though he knew what he did.

See, I know nothing about Natsume.

Zipping up the polyethylene sack, Ruka placed it on a high wooden shelf before plopping down in the hay next to me. "What's up, Mikan?"

I looked into his sky blue eyes helplessly. I cupped my face with my cheeks before heaving an enormous sigh. "Oh, Ruka-pyon. Natsume is still doing missions for the Academy. How is he? His health, I mean."

Ruka regarded my vexed visage carefully. "Natsume… doesn't tell you these things?" he asked quietly.

I nodded my head slowly. "I don't ask him either," I admitted quietly. "Ano… Whenever he's with me, he seems happy, you know? I don't want to make him sad by talking about such things."

Ruka chuckled softly. "If you love someone and want to be with them, you have to accept both the good and bad things," he voiced out, more to himself than me.

I twiddled my fingers. "Looks like I'm still pretty immature about these things, even Natsume. How did you become so insightful about this, Ruka? You must be pretty smart."

My last sentence elicited another soft chuckle from the blond. Ruka placed his arms behind his head and lay down in the hay, motioning for me to do the same. I did so tentatively, gathering my long hazel hair and throwing it over my right shoulder to avoid smelly hay getting caught in it.

"It's not about smarts or even your own feelings," Ruka mused. "You don't even have to be in love to know these things. Love can be anything, though, and I've seen many kinds from just watching people."

I lay on my side to face my sky-eyed friend, curling my legs into a foetal position. I was transfixed by Ruka's words and the expression on his face as he spoke. It looked like he really knew his subject --- but his eyes held a strange, sad happiness within them, like he was longing for something that would never be his or rather, something he had desperately clung on to but let go.

He let it go out of love.

"In short," Ruka said gently, looking me in the eye and smiling beatifically. "Truly understanding love is about experience."

I rolled onto my back, clasping my hands on top of my abdomen. It was that otter position Misaki-sensei told me to get into years ago in order to calm myself. "I guess I'm still pretty inexperienced," I murmured weakly.

"Natsume too," Ruka corrected. "But that doesn't matter now, Mikan. Both of you will grow and come to experience lots of things together."

Together, huh?

I wish that were true.

Come to think of it, Aoshi-san never said anything about bringing _someone_ along with me. He neither allowed it nor forbade it.

Could I bring Natsume along?

New resolve burning in my mind and heart, I sat up swiftly, ignoring the hay that I scattered about the barn. Ruka sat up too, propping himself up against his bended knees.

"Ruka-pyon!" I cried shrilly. "Answer the question! Natsume's health?"

Yellow eyebrows furrowed in disdain. "Oh, that. Sorry." Once more, he assessed my face slowly and carefully before opening his mouth to speak. "You know about Natsume's Alice, right?"

I nodded vehemently. "It's the type that cuts the user's lifespan every time it's used."

"Yeah," Ruka said, "and frankly, it's kind of amazing that Natsume's still alive at sixteen considering how sick he was at ten."

"Ruka…?" I said unsurely. I did not like where this was going.

"He should've been dead about four years ago," Ruka admitted softly. "It's that darn Alice of his. To lengthen his lifespan even by a little bit more, Natsume began using his Alice minimally. He began fighting in hand-to-hand combat only and used his Alice only for emergency circumstances like when he's completely surrounded by enemies. I guess that's how he managed to live this long."

"Oh," I murmured uncertainly. By the pained look on Ruka's face, I could tell that this painful story wasn't over yet. "There's more, isn't there?"

Ruka nodded. "By the time Natsume realised that his body was going to die soon from too much Alice usage, it was too late to undo the damage. Sure, he still fought melee style but from previous years, his Alice usage was really incredible. Medicine and rest did little to curb his condition; the accumulated damage was slowly taking toll, seeping into his system day by day. Right now his Alice is really weak. He can hardly produce more than a few embers in his current condition. His once powerful Fire Alice is inside him, eating away at his vitality like a parasitic disease."

Remorseful blue eyes met stoic olive ones.

"Did the Academy know?"

"Yes."

"And they still made him go on missions?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Eyebrows once again furrowed in contemplation, Ruka admitted painfully, "I don't know. It never really made sense to me."

"I see."

"It could have something to do with Aoi, though."

My eyebrows shot up and my heart began pounding in my chest. It was so loud I was sure Ruka could hear it. "Who's Aoi?" I said squeakily. I was almost afraid to find out.

"She's the reason Natsume fights," Ruka said carefully, studying my features, which I struggled to remain blank.

I felt a pang in my heart as Ruka said those words. _She's the reason Natsume fights._ I'm not jealous.

I'm not jealous…

I'm not jealous.

With my silence, you could have cut the tension in the air with a knife. That is, until Ruka spoke.

"Aoi is Natsume's little sister."

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The reason Natsume first came into Alice Academy was that his and his sisters' powers were discovered in the fire that destroyed their hometown. Ruka confided that it was really Aoi who started the fire and not Natsume. Natsume merely took the blame in order to stop the Academy from attaching puppet strings on his younger sister and using her in their dark operations.

In order to make sure that Natsume always did what he was told, Persona took Aoi hostage and Natsume couldn't even get close to his younger sister though they were in the same school. How sickening.

However, now that Persona is gone, what is Natsume going to do?

If I explain Natsume's condition to Aoshi-san, will the Academy let go of him and his sister?

I wanted to hear the answers to those questions from Natsume himself.

And that is why I am on my hands and knees struggling to reach Natsume, who was comfortably leaning against the sakura tree's massive trunk and nestled in a huge branch, one which I was crawling on like a cat, though without the grace.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, I straddled the branch and glared at Natsume's smirking face and mocking crimson eyes. His hand reached out for me. "Here, kitty, kitty."

Seeing as I had no other choice, I took Natsume's hand and he pulled me towards him with such strength and ferocity that I slammed into him, situated on his chest and in between his legs. Natsume wrapped arm around my waist to support me lest I fall off the tree.

Silence again.

I looked up at Natsume. His eyes were closed and his mouth was slightly open. His eyelashes were so long that they cast a shadow on his face. The sunlight filtered through the sakura tree's canopy, lighting his tanned features a faint pink. The controlled weather in the Academy allowed the sakura flowers to still be in bloom.

I could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. He looked so peaceful… No missions to worry about, no organisation to fight, no disease to struggle with… Just rest and peace.

If I wished for Natsume to always be like this, he would've been dead.

I dismissed those thoughts from my head wildly. As I leaned all my weight against him, Natsume's eyelids fluttered open. "What's up, Duckie?"

My eyelids were closed so he didn't see me roll my eyes. "I believe the correct phrase is 'What's up, Doc?'" I jested. Natsume chuckled.

We remained in silence for a few more moments before Natsume spoke, "No, seriously, Mikan. What's wrong?"

"Who was your first girlfriend?" I asked teasingly.

Though I couldn't see his face, I was sure Natsume raised an eyebrow at that. "You are," he stated simply.

I laughed at that. "Oh, don't tell me you expect me to believe that you, _the_ Natsume Hyuuga, hasn't had a single girlfriend aside from little old me in the sixteen years of your existence?"

Natsume grunted. "Believe it."

I snorted. "Aw, come on. You have a whole _fanclub_ dedicated to you! Don't tell me you didn't think a single one of those fangirls weren't cute. Some of them were pretty good-looking, you know."

"Just so you know," Natsume drawled, "I've only been interested in one girl my whole life. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not the type of guy who goes around having flings with girls you know."

My laughter filled the air once more. "No wonder your fangirls were foaming at the mouth with the whole 'Natsume-kun must remain pure' thing! If ever, I think that only served to make them fall in love with you more."

When Natsume did not reply, I said softly, "But it's good to know."

I twisted my torso to look at his face. His eyebrows were raised slightly and the ghost of a smile played on his lips. As nonchalantly as I could, I asked, "Ne, Natsume, aren't you sad Persona's dead?"

Dark eyebrows furrowed together and unattractive creases formed on his forehead. "That man," he said slowly, "is like a cockroach. I don't believe he's dead."

"Is that so," I whispered. "I don't know how I feel about Urumi. I've only learnt to hate her. I never really feared her in any way… I just really, really hate her. But now that she's dead… I don't know. I don't really feel anything. She was nothing to me." I heaved a sigh.

I closed my eyes and leaned against him once more. His arms automatically enveloped me in an embrace. "Natsume, do you love me?" I asked quietly. Without even waiting for a reply, I spoke once more.

"Ruka said that love is about accepting both the good and bad realities of each other," I said bluntly, twisting my torso and propping myself against his chest. "Why didn't you tell me about Aoi? Why didn't you tell me about your sickness?" My tone wasn't harsh or angry. It was helpless and sad, like a gentle reprimand.

Raven bangs shadowed crimson eyes from view. I waited patiently for him to answer.

Right now, I could give him all the time in the world to just think about what he was going to say to me. I knew that he was never good with words but please, oh Kami-sama, please don't lie to me.

All I wanted right now was the truth.

No more secrets.

No more deception.

No more shades of grey.

If everything were in black and white, then it should have been more than easy for me to leave the Academy by now.

"The truth is, Natsume," I said, bringing his chin up to look me in the eye. Tears began falling down my face. I don't know why I was feeling this way right now… I guess I was just sick of always being the last to know, even when it's about me.

"You don't love me."

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**To be continued…**

Erm, yeah, please don't kill me –opens umbrella in a futile attempt to dodge thrown pineapples-

Do you guys have any idea how Natsume can try and "prove his love" for Mikan next chapter? I've got none right now so that means it might take yet another long pause before the next chapter comes out. Otherwise, it'll all be words and uh, no actions, next chapter…(how boring) Ehehehe. Character death isn't going to come up until chapter eighteen unless I have enough space to squeeze it into next chapter.

Anyway, did you guys see it? The err, implied Ruka-romance. I'm thinking of writing a prequel to this story on the side, a RxH. It would be interesting to see the ice queen crumble...

Here are my other stories you might want to check out. You don't have to read this part (:

**Saving Angels From Satan** – (Supernatural/Romance) Mikan's a ghost inhabiting an isolated house on the outskirts of Tokyo. No one knows where her body is or how she died. The most apparent reason why she hasn't moved on into the afterlife is that she's been waiting for her lover to show up. However, she doesn't know that he's already dead, and unlike her, he moved on to the afterlife without a hitch. Then, a family of four men move into her house. The youngest son, Youichi, can see ghosts for some strange reason, and so can his older brother, Natsume, but he's not at all happy to have a girl ghost in his room…

Erm, the summary's kinda boring. What drove me to write this story was revenge. I got a really low score on a descriptive essay so I decided to improve upon my "descriptions". I was having fun describing sceneries and that kinda thing and this story just popped into my head… I posted it here and it seems well-received so I decided to continue. At first, the story was plotless so as I mulled over the plot, I came to a very shocking theory of how and why Mikan died. I'm not divulging details here, though.

**Three of a Kind** – (Drama/Romance) AU, Ruka x Mikan x Natsume love triangle. I realise that love triangles aren't very popular in the GA fandom… or am I wrong? Anyway, the plot is basically about who will Mikan end up with? Ruka or Natsume? You decide.

But I assure you that the story isn't as shallow as that. The three main characters have a lot of depth to them and the story focuses on the pain each individual has experienced that draw them to each other. If you like studying characters, then you might enjoy this.

Aside from those two, I'm working on a new dark Mikan series. Um... I'm not sure about the genre yet. Maybe Humour/Tragedy? Heh. It has some dry humour in it but it's definitely a NxM pairing. Think of it as an apology for the loooooooooong delay (': Oh, and it's also AU if I haven't mentioned it already.


	17. Yellow

Okay, this story was originally planned for nineteen chapters. I might add an epilogue as the twentieth chapter.

I decided to switch the character death scene and the "how-Natsume-will-prove-his-love-for-Mikan" so it's character death here, and "love-proving" next chapter.

\**  
Two Quarters And A Heart Down  
17: Yellow**  
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Upon hearing such a despondent outburst from his girlfriend, a normal boy would've probably lost his wits. He would've desperately tried to deny his girlfriend's accusation, growing more frantic by the second. Or so I'd like to think.

Natsume Hyuuga was not a normal boy.

Far from it.

Natsume lifted his head and turned his cool crimson gaze toward me. His eyes were like liquid, though they gleamed to indicate that he was still lucid. His right hand brushed against my cheek, isolating a single teardrop. It lay on his finger wobbling, colourless, fragile and glistening like dew on a petal.

"How do you know that?" he asked quietly. His tone was not one of indignation, neither was it of resignation. It was quite gentle actually, with a genuinely questioning edge.

I chose not to answer his question. Instead, I held my chin up high, holding a stare that was every bit as icy as his. Tears continued rolling down my cheeks; I didn't bother wiping them away. To me, these tears were not a symbol of shame or confusion. They were testament to my suffering.

"Love is different for everybody," Natsume continued. "We may feel it but we don't really know what it is. You can ask a hundred people and you'll get a hundred different answers.

"If I asked you now, what do you think love is or should be, would you be able to answer me?"

I contemplated for a while. Did he get that out of a manga? "No," I admitted icily. "I wouldn't." I pulled my lips into a defiant scowl. "If love is different for everybody, how can two people, no, two _individuals_ be compatible?"

Natsume tore his vague, hazy gaze away from me. His ruby-like eyes assessed the students roaming the campus. We were hidden from view by the sakura tree's innumerable flowers. "I haven't lived that long to give you an answer to that."

"And you may never live that long to find out either," I murmured quietly. I wasn't sure if he heard me.

I pushed myself away from the fire caster, swinging my legs over the branch to jump down.

"Mikan?"

I refused to look at him. His voice sounded so sad and lonely, as though pleading me to stay. Pleading with me so desperately. I could almost imagine his eyebrows furrowing slightly in disappointment, crimson eyes losing their sharpness for a moment to droop sadly. If I looked at him and saw that, I don't think I could ever leave.

"Find me," I stated, my voice ringing and clear. "Find me and tell me whenever it is you find what you seek." I placed my palms flat against the thick trunk, preparing to push off. I closed my eyes and smiled genially at the raven-haired boy one last time. "Goodbye, Natsume."

I only opened my eyes when my feet touched the ground. I began running. To where, only my legs knew.

A loud _thud_ and a _crack_ reverberated from the sakura tree, sending birds flying off into the sky. It was like a very frustrated fist had connected with the tree trunk.

I didn't look back once.

\\

Sixteen years' worth of memories were packed away in a suitcase on my bed. My clothes, a photo album and a framed photograph of Jii-chan adorned the case. It wasn't much but that's all my life amounted to.

I reached for the photo frame, rubbing the glass with my thumb affectionately. It had been ages since I last thought of Jii-chan. When I was taken away, the Academy informed my guardian that I had passed away in a car crash when I tried to escape from the campus. All lies, of course. I don't know what lies the Academy fed the families of my island compatriots.

I don't know how my grandpa coped with it. How was he doing? Was he still alive?

I placed the frame back in the suitcase, nestled between my shirts. If I wanted answers, I had my whole life ahead of me to find them. I wasn't going to play this game anymore, where I am always the last to know.

I never had any secrets of my own, so I didn't like it when others kept them from me. My departure wasn't a secret --- everyone was going to find out eventually. But they would think of it as an exchange programme. They wouldn't know the real reason behind it.

My fingers traced empty shelves and drawers, looking for anything left behind. I found none. I walked to my vanity mirror and sat in front of it. The same hollow olive eyes from my first day back stared at me. They were mocking; I am part of this world, a person living here. Yet, it feels like I was in a completely different universe where I need not know what was going on in the other world. I was alone.

The yellow barrette in my hair caught my attention. It was from Kenta. That was the first gift I had received from him, aside from his friendship.

I smiled wistfully, reaching up and gently sliding it out of the hazel tresses. I fingered it lovingly, thinking back to what had happened earlier today.

"_Mikan, why do you always wear that?" Hotaru asked, taking a sip of her hot cocoa._

"_Oh, this?" My fingers immediately reached for the yellow accessory. "It was a gift from a very dear friend."_

"_Kenta Fujimori, isn't it?" Hotaru mused. Her amethyst eyes glittered in amusement._

"_How'd you know?"_

"_It's the same colour as his eyes."_

_I didn't answer. I watched Hotaru take another sip from her cup. She continued, "Yellow is the colour of cowards, you know."_

"_What are you trying to say?"_

"_You shouldn't get too close to Fujimori. He might end up hurting you."_

_I smiled. "You're jealous, aren't you, Hotaru?"_

"_Maybe I am."_

I twirled the petite barrette between my fingers. Kenta, a dear friend, huh? I guess I should tell him and Hiro the truth.

Don't get me wrong; it's not like I didn't want to tell them about my departure. Rather, they were finally back at the Academy, leading normal lives like they should. I was the only one that should be on the run. If I told them, I knew they'd want to come with me.

But on the other hand, they were both the survivors and my long-term companions on the Black Hole. Together, we survived the onslaught of harsh training and shared times when our hopes were completely sucked out of us. Seven of us went to that island; only three of us came back alive.

I kind of figured that the trainers had let me live somehow. Since I was part of the All-Seeing Eye's plan. Kenta and Hiro had no apparent role in the scheme. They survived, so they must have something special inside them. I don't know why they took the other four, though. It was a mystery in itself, but I was sure they weren't chosen merely by coincidence.

Something about them must have had a key element in bringing the Academy down. It wasn't my concern any longer, though.

Sliding the barrette back in place, I got up to leave. I was going to find Kenta and Hiro. Before slipping out the door, I shut my suitcase closed with a sense of finality.

\

The two of them were together, as always. Bickering and fighting over sandwiches in the courtyard, Kenta and Hiro were a noisy spectacle to behold as always.

I sighed and marched over to the fountain. They were sitting on the ledge. A shove could easily land them in the water. Ignoring stares from surrounding students, I gave each boy a solid knock on the head.

"Ow! That's no way to treat your sempai, Mi-chan!" Kenta cried indignantly. He clutched his throbbing head.

Hiro did the same. "What was that for?"

"You two are always bickering," I stated simply. "Even back on the island, your fights and teasing were notorious amongst the trainers." My voice sounded far away even to my own ears. Oh, Kami-sama, I was going to miss this.

"Mikan?" Hiro and Kenta dropped their arms, letting them fall onto their laps. Two pairs of amber eyes were soft with concern as they gazed at me.

"Don't look at me like that," I scolded softly, sitting in between them. "I don't want to leave with regrets." I reached out and took each of their hands. I clasped them in my lap, enjoying the warmth they radiated. Was this going to be the last time I could feel such human warmth?

"So I guess it's true then," Hiro said quietly.

I looked up at him in confusion. "Huh?"

"Aoshi-san told us about it," Kenta said lightly. "We know everything. Whatever your decision is, Mikan, we're on your side."

A genuine smile found its way to my lips. Their grips tightened on my hands.

"So when are you leaving?" Hiro asked casually.

"Either tonight or tomorrow morning," I replied. A lump had formed in my throat.

"Well, I guess we better pack then, ne, Hiro?" Kenta stood up. He smiled down at me warmly.

"Eh?" My eyes were watery and wide with bewilderment.

Hiro stood up as well. "We're coming with you, Mikan."

"Why?" I demanded, rising from the fountain ledge. "You're finally free from the Black Hole! You can leave normal lives now!"

Kenta and Hiro exchanged a knowing glance. "You're really stupid, you know that," Kenta said.

"Do you know why we're always together, Mikan?" Hiro asked.

"No," I admitted, wondering to where this was leading.

"You're lucky," Hiro said, smiling, "that your old friends still accept you. No one wants to talk to us anymore. Most of them don't even remember us."

"But you, Mikan," Kenta interjected, "you're different. You remember people and they remember you. You're unforgettable."

"We've never had a friend like you before," Hiro continued. "That's why we're coming with you."

"Don't make it seem like the past six years of our lives were a waste. If there's anyone who can help you on your journey, Mikan, it's us. Even if others don't remember us, we know that you will. That's why we want to be around you."

"Please, Mikan," Hiro extended his hand out to me, "let us come with you."

Stupid me. I was never alone.

I smiled wanly. I reached out to take his hand, to feel that warmth again, to leave with my friends, when a bullet shattered my newfound hope.

Life seemed to go in slow motion as a speeding bullet pierced Hiro's hand. It ripped through his flesh, causing blood to spurt out.

"Aaaah," Hiro cried, closing his eyes in pain. He clutched his bleeding left hand, falling to his knees.

"Hiro," I yelled shrilly. The sun was setting, staining the sky a vivid orange. There were no more students hanging around.

I was about to rush to his side, but Kenta stopped me.

"Mikan! Watch out!" he yelled. He pushed me out of the way.

Falling backwards, I craned my head to see another bullet speeding towards him. "Kenta, no!" I screamed, reaching out for him. For a moment, I forgot about his Intangibility Alice. The bullet could go right through him, leaving him undamaged. But I forgot, and nothing could change that fact.

I grabbed onto the tailcoat of his blazer, meaning to nullify the attack, but instead it nullified his Alice.

When I finally remembered, I let go a little too late.

The bullet ripped through his flesh, but it didn't pierce his hand.

It went through his heart.

The impact sent him flying, wide-eyed, into the fountain. His body made a loud splash, but in my ears, I could hear nothing but the ringing sound of the bullet.

The bullets had come from a copse of trees not far away. The gunner was there. Ignoring whatever naked dangers I was putting myself in, I rebounded from my fall and leapt into the fountain.

The water was red with blood. _Kenta's blood._

"Kenta!" I cried. The tears were falling again. I cry too much for my own good.

"Mikan…" he sputtered, opening his eyes a fraction to look at me.

"Don't talk," I murmured, sinking to my knees. I cradled his hand, stroking his cheeks to comfort him. "I'm so sorry, Kenta."

Kenta merely smiled at me. "It's not your fault, Mikan." His smile was so sad, full of regret.

It didn't make sense to me anymore. As a child, a smile meant a symbol of happiness for me. But now, why were we all smiling when there was only grief, not bliss?

"But it is," I denied vehemently. "You don't have to lie! Just wait, okay? I'll go get Imai-sensei. I'm sorry."

Kenta grabbed my arm. "It's not your fault, Mikan," he reiterated. "This was meant to be. You can't fight fate."

My eyes widened. Who was this boy? The Kenta I knew would fight against fate, never settling for resignation.

"You can't fight fate." Kenta's voice trailed off as his eyes closed. His arm fell limp and his head rolled back. Resignation.

I bowed my head, letting my bangs shadow my eyes. I lay Kenta down gently, and I stood up from the fountain.

I remembered Kenta's wild plans of escaping from the Black Hole when we were younger. They all failed, but some almost succeeded. He got into Godzilla-loads of trouble from the trainers and he gained a reputation for his rebellious streak. In a way, he didn't let us captives lose our hope completely on that island.

If the most defiant boy I knew was giving up so willingly, what chance did I have in escaping this evil scheme?

"Why don't you come out now, Aka-san?" I hissed dangerously.

A figure emerged from the shadows of the nearby trees. "Sensed my Alice, eh, Sakura-dono? But it's a little too late, ne?" The voice was mocking and cruel, as always.

"You will pay," I said evenly. Hatred coursed through every fibre of my being.

Defiantly, I looked up to glare at Hajime Aka, Persona's second-in-command.

\

**To be continued…**

Dun-dun-dun... A new, "final" villain! More details about the malicious Aka-san in the next chapter.

Any die-hard Rurouni Kenshin otaku will know about the _RKRC Awards_ (Rurouni Kenshin Readers' Choice). There are about 700+ Gakuen Alice fics out there. This anime/manga isn't very popular, even in Japan. I think we devoted writers/readers should help promote Higuchi Tachibana-sama's masterpiece (and sort of giving ourselves some credit) by starting a **_Gakuen Alice Readers' Choice Awards._**

We can vote for our favourite GA fanfic authors (eg. Author of the Year award) and for the best GA fanfics for different genres. For example, someone can nominate WizdomGoddess' _Persona's Secret Diary_ for the Humour category, and if someone else seconds it, it qualifies for voting. Sounds fun, ne?

The site has been set up and a few people have offered to help organize this. The URL is garc-awards (dot) livejournal (dot) com

The site isn't all that magnificent yet; layout and images aren't quite set. If the URL can't be seen here, go to my profile and click on "homepage". Nominations begin now (:


	18. The Devil's Advocate

Sorry for the delayed update. I've been busy with other obligations.

Someone PM'd me to ask that I put some information on my OCs and their Alices, so readers know more about them, so here I go, in order of appearance (I think).

Urumi Tenaka – Mikan's trainer on the Black Hole. Her Alice is Blood Control; she can control her own blood as well as someone else's, as long as it's outside the body. She can craft blood into her own weapons. Mikan really hates Urumi, so, since she narrates this story, she doesn't elaborate too much on Urumi's abilities because she couldn't care less.

Yuki Aoshi – Mikan's biological father. His Alice is Inquisition. By physically restraining his victim, he can extract truths from him or her. There is more information on this Alice in previous chapters.

Kenta Fujimori – One of the three survivors from the Black Hole. He's one year older than Mikan and Hiro, and his Alice is Intangibility. Items can go through him, and he can make people intangible upon contact as well.

Hiro Hayasaka – Another survivor from the Black Hole. He's the same age as Mikan and his Alice is Ice. I think this kind of Alice can be used in many ways unique to the wielder, and if you want to know how Hiro uses his Alice, read this chapter.

The All-Seeing Eye – The main villain of this story, but he hasn't made a physical appearance yet. His real identity will be revealed in this chapter.

Hajime Aka – Persona's second-in-command. He's the head honcho of the Black Hole operation. While writing this chapter, I regretted giving him such a Japanese name. I thought it would be better to give him a cool nickname like Persona, but I realised that his last name "Aka" (Japanese for pink or red) can also stand for "Also Known As". I thought it was cool enough, so I left it be. His Alice is pretty simple, actually. Read on to find out.

I decided to twist the events around at the last minute. This chapter is dedicated to the **GARCA Staff **simply for making an otaku's dream into reality (: (and I'm not just talking about myself).

\\\\\**  
Two Quarters And A Heart Down  
18: The Devil's Advocate**  
\\\\\

Those cold, mocking mauve eyes framed by thick locks of smoke-grey hair… The wrinkle on the pasty face caused by that infuriating smirk… And the deep scar on his forehead, cutting through his left eyebrow… The scar caused by none other than Kenta Fujimori so many years ago.

Hajime Aka's face was not one that I had expected to ever see again. He was Kenta's trainer, as well as Persona's second-in-command. Being Persona's top dog, Aka was the trainer-in-charge of the Black Hole project, as his "master" was constantly busy with Academy affairs.

And, like Persona and Urumi, a body part of Aka's was hidden. However, it wasn't his face. It was his right hand.

Layers of red cloth were wound tightly round his right fist, resembling a scarlet stump of a limb. Rumours were that in the past, Aka was one of Persona's "students" in the Academy. When one night, he disobeyed his sensei by skipping a mission to spend time with his girlfriend, a hot-blooded (and not to mention younger) Persona turned Aka's right hand into ashes as punishment. Needless to say, Aka never disobeyed Persona again.

I clenched my fist tightly; so tight I couldn't feel my arm anymore. I gazed steadily at Aka's mauve eyes, which were twinkling with cynicism, as though he was just daring me to try and kill him. _Like he killed Kenta._

Being Persona's faithful lapdog from childhood to adulthood, I could scarcely imagine what horrible torture techniques and fighting skills Aka had to throw at me. Worse, I didn't even know Aka's Alice, and the power I felt emanating from him escaped my ability to identify it. What could this man do? What did Persona see in him, to appoint him as his direct subordinate?

I mean, Persona wasn't the devil incarnate – it was Aka. Persona was worse; he was the very creature from which the devil spawned.

Aka's lips twitched downwards suddenly. Frowning, he sang out, "Do you really intend to kill me, Sakura-san?" Despite his cold eyes and the scowl on his young face, his voice was happy-sounding. However, it was devoid of sincerity.

"Ahou," I roared. "How could you kill Kenta, your own student? Bastard!"

The tight-lipped frown stretched into a sordid smile. In the same sing-song voice, he reprimanded me, "Ara, ara, Sakura-san. It's not very pleasant to hear such a lovely young lady speak such foul language. Oh, and by the way…"

Before I could blink, Aka dipped low and dashed towards me in god-speed. Instinctively, I thrust out my right elbow to injure him. However, he caught me by the wrist and spun me around to face him.

His right arm wrapped around me, digging into the small of my back. His cold hand cupped my cheek, his thumb tipping my chin to face him. I tried to break free from his hold, but he was too strong. Aka leaned in close to face until I could feel his warm breath (I expected it to be as icy as his touch) on my lips.

"It's been a long time since I last saw you, Sakura-san," he said huskily. "How long has it been? Two, no, three months? You've grown into quite a woman." I could feel his mauve eyes rove around my body hungrily. I shuddered involuntarily, which, to my horror, seemed to arouse him even more. "It's been far too long since I tasted the soft flesh of a woman." He dipped his head low into my neck, and his warm tongue grazed the delicate flesh.

"Hentai!" I screamed, digging my knees into whatever part of Aka I could harm. I was horrified and disgusted beyond words --- this man, no, this _demon_ killed one of my best friends and he dared deny my right to combat and instead violate me? Unbidden tears sprung to the corners of my eyes, and I bit my lower lip to stop it from quivering.

Suddenly, Aka's left hand grasped my thigh and pushed me downwards into the dirt. He did not relinquish his hold on me.

"Let go! Let go!" I screamed, thrashing in his arms. His cold teeth grazed my neck, and I never felt a stronger desire to kill a man before. However, I was helpless in the demon's grasp.

A blast of ice caught Aka by surprise, hitting his side and pushing him off of me. I swiftly got up and ran to Hiro's side, smiling at him gratefully.

Hiro smiled back at me weakly. His hand was still bleeding, but he had managed to get Aka's bullet out. His uninjured hand was spread open, trembling in the direction of Aka. Hiro's famous ice snake was protruding from his hand and was coiled around the villain.

"Do it now, Mikan!" Hiro commanded. "I don't have much energy left to spare."

"Hai." I detached myself from the Ice Alice's side and leapt into the air, readying my elbow for a head strike. "Graaaaaah!"

Aka glared at me malevolently. "I'm not as weak as you think, maggots!" His eyes widened and I suddenly found myself afloat in mid-air. I panicked, forgetting for a split-second to activate my Nullifying Alice.

"Can't… hold out… any… longer…" Hiro wheezed as he collapsed. The ice snake imprisoning Aka immediately defrosted.

I activated my Alice, and landed deftly on the now wet ground. "Was… was that your Alice?" I mumbled unsurely, raising my fists and gazing at Aka cautiously.

Slowly, Aka stood up and smirked at me. His mutilated right hand was tucked into his pants pocket, while his left was outstretched. "Indeed," he sang once more. "Gravitation. I can make things light or heavy at will." He looked at me sadly, his cold eyes softening for an instant. "But now that you've activated your Nullifying powers, I can't use my lovely Alice on you again, can I?"

His lips stretched into a sordid smile. "Melee it is, then."

In the same god-speed movement, Aka strafed towards me, his left hand poised to claw my guts out. My fists immediately moved down to my abdomen to block his blow, but the weasel feigned his aim and his talons were right in front of my face. I closed my eyes, bracing for the impact.

But it never came.

I opened one eye wearily, and found a firewall --- literally --- shielding me from the demon. Wait a minute… fire?

"Hn. Don't touch her, old man."

"Natsume!" I cried happily, gazing up at the figure, perched precariously on the nearest tree branch.

Aka recoiled from the scorching heat. "Ara, ara, Kuro Neko-chan. I'm not that old. I'm only twenty-six."

Natsume leapt gracefully from the tree, landing squarely in front of me. He didn't look at me.

"You," he said, nodding at Aka. "How did you escape from the interrogation?"

Aka's left hand flew to his chin, stroking it pensively. "I've been itching for a good fight. If the two of you can beat me, I'll tell you something good. I consider it a fair exchange."

"We accept," Natsume drawled, waving a hand impatiently.

A vein throbbed in my temple. "Oy, oy! Wait a minute there! Don't go deciding things on your own!"

"Shut up and get ready, Polka-dots," Natsume hissed, parrying Aka's punch.

"There wasn't any signal," I grumbled, glaring at him before kicking Aka in the gut. He recoiled from the contact and leapt backwards. He propelled from a tree and dove at Natsume.

"Baka youjo," the Fire Alice drawled, "you should always be ready for combat. You never know when the enemy is going to show up. Just as I thought – even six years of intensive training couldn't penetrate your thick head." He got ready to leap out of harm's way.

"Excuse me!" I snarled, stomping in front of him and catching Aka's head mere inches before it rammed into Natsume's gut. "I just found out my boyfriend only likes me because I kiss good and my friends have just been seriously hurt by this clown, who tried to rape me, by the way –" I gave Aka's head a squeeze, ignoring the man's splutters "- and I'm very emotional right now! You expect me to be as indifferent as you, Mr Unfeeling? I'm a very sensitive woman, you know!" I swung my leg toward him.

Natsume sweated. "Polka-dots, we're supposed to be fighting Aka here, not each other."

"Shut up!" I shrieked, squeezing… the air? I looked down to find that Aka's head was no longer trapped in my clamp. "Eh?"

The sickening sound of breaking wood filled the air, and we whipped around wildly to find Aka standing with his legs spread wide and his arms outstretched. Two monstrously huge trees were being uprooted from the ground.

"I hate being ignored!" Aka boomed, sending a tree flying in my direction. Natsume aimed a jet of fire at it before tackling me to the ground. The burning tree soared over our heads before landing behind the fountain with a sickening crunch.

"What are you, a girl?" I scoffed at Aka. The man ignored me and threw another tree in our direction.

I broke away from Natsume's grasp and leapt onto the speeding tree. I dashed across the trunk and landed in front of Aka. It was my turn to catch him by surprise. Time for a little stress-relief!

I threw multiple punches into his gut, and sent a swift kick to his head. He staggered backwards slightly before shaking his head and retaliating. I barely managed to block his blows, but that didn't mean that I wasn't hurt. My forearms were aching and bruised from blocking his punches. Man, this guy was tough.

Where was Natsume when you needed him?

I glanced around and saw him seated against one of Aka's trees, his hands propped behind his head and his crimson eyes watching my fight amusedly.

"Nani?" I cried indignantly, failing to fend off Aka's uppercut to my chin. I spluttered and fell to the ground. I wiped blood off my chin.

"Ara, your partner doesn't want to help you, Sakura-san?" Aka smiled at me. "Too bad, eh? I was planning on having some fun with you before taking you to see my master. I guess we have to say goodbye now."

He raised his left fist high into the air. I glared at Natsume, willing him to get up and help me. However, he remained unmoving, but his eyes seemed to be focused on something. What was it?

I followed the "path" of his gaze and found it…

"Period," Natsume drawled, pointing at my exposed underwear.

I screamed so loud birds flew into the air.

In a rage, I hit the nearest thing with strength that would have impressed the strongest man in the world.

\\\\\\

"You knocked him out," Natsume said simply, squatting beside Aka's prone body and prodding his cheek with a stick. His cheek was covered with a glowing red handprint.

"Oy, hentai," I snarled, standing in front of him with my arms on my hips. "I checked. You made it up."

"What did I make up?"

I blushed. "You know what I mean."

Natsume shrugged indifferently. "It worked, didn't it? Your rage-induced adrenaline gave you enough strength to knock him out."

I crossed my arms and huffed. "Is that your idea of reverse psychology?" I glared at him.

"Nnnn…."

Natsume and I looked in the direction of the noise to find Hiro stirring, cradling his head. I rushed to his side, squealing happily. "Hiroooooo! I'm so glad you're alive!"

Hiro blushed slightly, flashing a small smile. "Me too, Mi-chan." His expression darkened. "We couldn't save Kenta."

My blissful state immediately dissipated, dissolving into an angry and melancholic emotion. I let go of Hiro and clasped my hands in my lap. My bangs hid my expression from view.

"Mi-chan?" Hiro said sadly, touching my shoulder gingerly.

I got up slowly and walked to the fountain. I plopped my legs, one at a time, into the water and walked, watching the reverberating ripples.

"Kenta…" I whispered, kneeling beside the body. "Gomen…" Tears started falling again. "Gomen!" I shrieked, burying my face into his cold chest and sobbing hysterically.

"Itai… Do you have to yell so loud, Mikan? I'm injured, not deaf."

"Eh?" I looked up to find Kenta sitting up and grinning at me. "EHHHH?"

"Kenta!" Hiro gasped, jumping into the fountain. Natsume followed.

"Y-y-y-you're alive?" I said unsurely, tears still making dirty streaks on my cheeks.

Kenta's smile faltered. "Did you want me to die?"

"No!" I shrieked. "I'm happy that you're alive, really. But… didn't the bullet kill you?"

Kenta scratched his head. "Yeah, well, it went inside my body and I kind of passed out. I thought I was a goner for sure, but I heard some yelling," I blushed at this, "and realised that I wasn't dead yet. I tried using my Alice, and the bullet fell through."

He fished around in the pond and produced a small, metallic object. "See? Here it is."

Hiro and I were dumbfounded; we were staring at him with gaping mouths and eyes as big as one of Hotaru's video discs. I was the first to fall out of the stupor.

I whacked Kenta on his head. "Ow! What was that for?"

I glared at him. "Stupid! You made me worry about you for no reason! I hate you!" I punched him in the face, causing him to fall backwards in the fountain. "Just stay dead, moron."

Hiro regarded my actions in silence. With a loud splash, Kenta got up and grunted indignantly. "Oy, you might just kill me for good if you keep doing that!"

I sniffed. "I'm sorry." My lower lip trembled. "I don't really want to see you dead." I hiccupped. "You're one of my best friends! How could I say such a wicked thing? I'm such a bad person!" I buried my face into my hands.

"H-hey… It's okay…" Kenta rubbed my back in an attempt to calm me down.

Natsume nudged Hiro. "She's been so moody today."

"Hmm," Hiro said thoughtfully. "My mom acted the same way when she was pregnant."

"Mikan's pregnant?" Kenta looked incredulous. "You're to blame, Blackie! I'll kill you!" He glowered at Natsume, who glared right back.

"Hn. I didn't do anything."

"Hiroooo-kuuun! What's wrong with Mikan if she's not pregnant?"

Hiro's lips twisted into an enigmatic smile. "I think it's called PMS."

"Ew."

"Oh, that's right," I said, snapping my head up. My eyes were wide with realisation. "I almost forgot!"

"To take your medication?" Natsume mumbled. I ignored him.

"Aka!" I said, wagging my forefinger for emphasis.

"Oh," the three boys concurred, slapping their fists into their palms.

We splashed out of the fountain and knelt around Aka's prone body. I lifted him by his shirt and slapped his face a few times. His eyes fluttered open and I let go of him.

"So, I lost," he said, running his good hand through his greasy hair.

"We had a deal," I reminded him. "A fair exchange, you said."

"Indeed." He sat up a little straighter. "I am a follower of the All-Seeing Eye."

I raised an eyebrow. "I kind of gathered that, when you said that you were going to take me to your master."

"You were being interrogated in a secure confinement," Hiro said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "How did you get out?"

"My master let me out." Aka smiled.

"Eh? How? I personally nullified that place, so his black smoke couldn't penetrate it!" I cried.

"Do you know who is in charge of the interrogation, Sakura-san?"

"I heard that it's the same person in charge of the Urumi search party," Kenta interjected.

"So that means that the Elementary Division Headmaster is in charge of the interrogation?" I wondered to where this was leading.

"Yes." Aka's smile widened. "I was released with his permission. I can tell you that the Headmaster is not a follower of the All-Seeing Eye." His mauve orbs twinkled at me expectantly. "My master predicted my defeat," he murmured thoughtfully.

Realisation dawned on me, and on Natsume too, it seemed, for he asked, "If you're loyal to the All-Seeing Eye, then why are you telling us this?"

"Simply because my master wanted you to know his real identity."

"Why?"

Aka's smile widened. "Unravelling my master's plan is part of the fun. If I tell you, then it won't be fun anymore."

Kenta frowned. "You know, I've always found Aka a bit loony in the head, and I really don't get what he's trying to say."

Natsume scoffed. I looked Kenta in the eye and told him.

"The real identity of the All-Seeing Eye is Aki Seta, the Alice Academy Elementary Division Headmaster."

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**To be continued…**

Yeah, I know it's a bit "extra" to put in the All-Seeing Eye's identity towards the end of this story. However, the purpose of revealing that it's the Headmaster will cause more chaos in the sequel, so the follow-up plot has more depth to it.

Merry Christmas, folks! I'll try and update before New Year's.

This story is coming to an end with the next chapter… But there will be an epilogue after it (: I'll work on the sequel once my 2007 class schedules have been confirmed.

Oh, and do drop by the Gakuen Alice Readers' Choice Awards website (the link is on my profile) sometime, yeah? Nominations/secondings will end on December 31.

Oh, and this story has been nominated and seconded for the genre of Suspense, so do vote in January (: However, since there are no other nominees for the Suspense category, this story might be relocated to Romance (the second genre) or Drama (based on the events).


	19. Bury Your Head

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Have any of you ever wondered why I titled this story "Two Quarters And A Heart Down"? Well, if you listen to "Dance, Dance" by Fall Out Boy, the line goes "I'm just two quarters and a heart down, and I don't want to forget how your voice sounds." I don't know if I'm right, but my interpretation of this is that there's a "missing link" between two people. I might be crapping here, but I relate this to Mikan in this way: she doesn't want to forget her friends, even though they've been separated for six years and have surely changed. Remember what I said in the first chapter, that she's most afraid of confronting her old friends? Well, she was scared of that "missing link". I hope you understood that. If you didn't, and you want to know, just tell me in your review.

I think this is my longest chapter up to date.

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Two Quarters And A Heart Down  
19: Bury Your Head**  
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Hotaru and Ruka came running to us, and I asked that they inform Subaru-sensei, Aoshi-san and Narumi-sensei of the situation. Without hesitation, the two ran off to find them. Now, Kenta and Hiro were being treated by Subaru-sensei, while Natsume and I conferred with Aoshi-san and Narumi-sensei. Aka was being held in custody by Misaki-sensei and Jinno-sensei.

"So, it's Seta-kun…" A dark look had taken hold of Aoshi-san's features. "We're at a standstill here."

"There's nothing you can do about it?" I asked hesitantly. I had never seen my father look so… malicious before.

"It's one of the three Headmasters, Mikan," Narumi-sensei explained gently. "It will be a public scandal if we arrest him. Moreover, this may strike confusion in the student body, and it will be the perfect opportunity for rebellious students to break out. Thugs from the outside world might see it as the opportunity to break into the Academy and kidnap students as well."

"Yes, but," Aoshi-san cut in, "what I'm more concerned about is the group of bandits following Seta. This Black Hole project was carried out by Seta, and he handpicked the trainers and students for this. Why would he go through so much trouble just to get Mikan? That aside, we now know that we have foolishly brought over a whole assembly of powerful Alices, all of whom are loyal to this charlatan. If we tried anything now, look at the chaos that might ensue from his band of renegade Alice trainers. I mean, look at what Aka alone did." He spread his arms wide for emphasis, indicating our surroundings.

Natsume and I sweated. The stone fountain was completely smashed, with the water spilling over the rim, like an overflowing bowl. A colossal tree was dunked unceremoniously into the misshapen fountain, ashen and black from Natsume's flames. In fact, the flames were still burning furiously and were consuming more of the poor tree with every passing second. Black smoke from the accidental bonfire was rising high into the air in foul tendrils. I was amazed why multitudes of curious students hadn't gathered yet.

"A-anyway," I cleared my throat. "I understand we can't arrest Seta for this, but is there really nothing else we can do?"

If it was possible, Aoshi-san's expression darkened even more. "If he hasn't escaped already, that is." He turned to Narumi-sensei. "Narumi, contact Serina and report to me on Seta's activities."

"Hai." Narumi-sensei sprinted away from the battle scene.

"Mikan, are you packed and ready to go?" Aoshi-san said seriously.

"Yes, I am," I replied, just as seriously.

"Hey, wait a sec!" Kenta cried indignantly, twisting away from Subaru-sensei's grip. The annoyed doctor shot him with a bolt of electricity from his fingertips, making Kenta whimper and lie still on the ground.

"Aoshi-san, please," Hiro reasoned for Kenta, "it's dangerous for Mikan to be alone on this journey. Please let Kenta and I accompany her."

A soft smile graced Aoshi-san's lips. "I will consider it. However, I'm not sure if it's safe for Mikan to leave the Academy right now. If Seta did indeed escape, he and his army of five or so men will surely wait in ambush."

"So can she stay in the Academy?" Natsume raised an eyebrow at Aoshi-san.

Likewise, my father raised an eyebrow at Natsume. "Definitely not," he huffed. "If Seta did escape and Mikan is still in the Academy, he will surely turn teachers and students into his puppets to try and harm her. In fact, the same goes for you, Hiro-kun and Kenta-kun. You might not be able to protect yourselves from this black magic. Only Mikan's Nullifying Alice can protect her from Seta."

"But we'll always be around Mikan," Kenta whined. "Surely we'll be in her Alice's territory!"

"If Mikan had to protect others with her Alice all the time," Aoshi-san explained, "she'd be constantly drained. If she only had herself to protect, her Alice will always be unconsciously active inside of her, protecting her from any intrusion attempts."

"Not fair." Kenta pouted cutely, then his lips twisted into a grimace of pain as Subaru-sensei applied pressure to his joints. "Ouch! Watch where you're poking me!"

"I am merely checking for broken body parts, aside from your mouth and brain of course," Subaru said calmly.

I bit back a snigger and attempted to flash a sincere smile at the two amber-eyed males. "What my dad is saying is true. I'm sorry." I turned to my dad. "What now?"

"For now, we wait."

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It was nightfall, and Narumi-sensei and Serina-sensei had yet to penetrate the All-Seeing Eye's defensive barrier. A few other teachers had tried to infiltrate the Elementary Division Headmaster's office, but it was bolted shut. No one could break down the door.

I offered to sense the presence of Alices inside the office, but my father insisted that it was too risky. So, we waited for Narumi-sensei's report. However, we didn't just sit around and do nothing while waiting. No, we formulated a plan to ready ourselves for Seta's attack. It was bound to happen; we couldn't remain in this uncomfortable cease-fire forever.

But still, Seta had to be the first to strike. In the meanwhile, we waited.

"Ano…" My eyebrow twitched and a vein throbbed in my temple. "I know we're getting ready for a war here…"

Natsume threw his cards down and drawled, "Go fish." He raised an eyebrow at me.

"What are all of you doing in _my_ room?!" I snarled.

Eight pairs of eyes looked up from piles of cards to meet my furious gaze.

Youichi fidgeted in Natsume's lap, holding his cards in his little hands. Does this kid ever grow? He was with Natsume because the fire caster thought it was too dangerous to leave his kouhai alone in his room.

"And what's wrong with that?" Kenta muttered impatiently, throwing his cards down in exasperation. "Dammit! Why do I keep getting the bad cards?"

Hiro chuckled. "Keep that temper in check, Kenta." He flashed his cards, showing four aces. Kenta swore.

Subaru put his cards down calmly. "We're preparing for a war here. Any casualties, I'm here to heal them."

Hotaru shuffled her cards unblinkingly. "Why can't I be here, Mikan? You never tried to push me away before. Besides, I'm rewinding some research tapes in my lab; it'll take all night to be done."

Ruka sweated. "I can leave if you like, Mikan. It's about time I checked on my animal spies anyway."

"Oh, I didn't mean to sound so mean," I muttered, twiddling my thumbs. "You don't have to go, Ruka."

"Yes, Nogi," Aoshi-san ran a hand through his chocolate brown hair. His blazer was unbuttoned, his tie undone and his shoes were off, exposing his black socks. "Check on your animals and report to me quickly. Better safe than sorry." Ruka left and Aoshi-san glanced at his cards. "Kuso! He's got a better hand than I do!"

Kenta and Hiro exchanged a glance, before roaring with laughter. "The esteemed Headmaster just swore!"

Soon, the rest of us joined in the laughter, save for Youichi, who was starting to get sleepy. Even Natsume managed a few chuckles.

However, our laughter was short-lived.

Explosions resonated in the distance, and the colour of bleeding orange filled my windows. The building shook with every explosion.

Screams reverberated throughout the dormitory, and a pair of heavy, rushing footsteps stopped outside my door. We crouched, ready to attack.

The door opened and Ruka stumbled in, carrying a bleeding hawk. His spy was killed.

Aoshi-san adjusted his necktie. "It's time."

My hand fisted into a ball. "Roger that."

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I looked overhead from my hiding place amongst the trees and bushes. Ruka was soaring overhead, dangling from the hoop his giant eagle always carried just for him. He was wearing one of Hotaru's panda communication headsets; we all were. Even Natsume – but teasing him wasn't the matter at hand.

According to Ruka's reports, Seta's five cronies had set off bombs at random locations in the Academy – just for the heck of drawing us out, it seems. Since the elementary schoolers were holed up with the senior students, only the Middle School Division was in danger. Teachers were dispatched to evacuate them, while Aoshi-san and Hiro were looking for Seta.

I was alone with Kenta, hidden in the bushes near the Academy gates. My suitcase was hidden beneath a pile of leaves, just in case it was my opportunity. Hotaru was in the headquarters with Narumi-sensei, surveying the enemy's movements and dispatching orders via the communication earphones.

Subaru was back in the dormitory, tending to the injured. He disallowed Natsume from doing the physical labour, as he was worried about the fire caster's condition, especially after the fight with Aka. He had set off a pretty big fire, after all. Youichi was with Natsume, naturally.

"Mikan?" my earphones buzzed. I pressed the 'talk' button. "Hai?"

"We've got a situation," Hiro whispered.

"Eh?" My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. I glanced at Kenta, who was intently listening to what Hiro was saying.

"Sssh," Hiro hissed urgently. "Aoshi-san is in a bit of a predicament. There's no time to explain. Mikan, you have to leave the Academy. _Now._ It's your only chance!"

"What?" I was confused. "What's going on?"

"No time to explain!" Hiro huffed. It sounded like he was running. Running away from what? "Mikan, they can track you easily with these headphones. Leave them and go! Did you hear that, Kenta? Make sure she leaves – AAAGH!"

"Hiro? Hiro?" Silence. It was only static on the other end.

I turned to Kenta, who was hurriedly fishing my suitcase out of the leaves. Hotaru's voice clicked into the earpiece, "Mikan. I am viewing your father's situation on camera. It's not pretty."

I felt like crying. "What's going on? Why won't you tell me?"

"Hayasaka was right," Hotaru retorted. Her voice was steely with irritation and urgency. "No time to explain. Leave now, Mikan! Leave the headphones and don't look back!"

Tears were already coursing down my cheeks. Hotaru sounded panicked – I knew this was serious. "Alright, I'm leaving." I snatched my suitcase from Kenta and whipped off the panda earphones.

Footsteps crunched on the crisp leaves and twigs littered about the forest floor. Kenta crouched low, propping his right arm on his raised thigh. "I'll fend them off," he whispered, not even looking my way. "Run as fast as you can."

"Arigato," I whispered, then I turned on my heel and ran.

I turned my head halfway; to see a large man aim a right hook to Kenta's head. I gasped when his meaty fist collided with Kenta's head. I didn't have time to cry out for his pain, for I slipped into a crevice in the ground and fell.

Before I was enveloped in darkness, I swear I heard Natsume's voice, though I knew I wasn't wearing the earphones anymore.

"_I'm coming, Polka-dots._"

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I closed my eyes and prepared for the impact, but my butt glanced off something hard… and curvy… before I landed unceremoniously on the dirt.

"Itai…" I murmured, rubbing my sore butt.

"It's you!" a voice exclaimed, shocked. The voice was erratically familiar…

"Chisa?" I called out unsurely.

A flashlight flickered on and I looked at the elementary schooler's shadowy face. It was Chisa Mawako, all right. Unmistakable.

"Sakura-san…" she murmured, refusing to look me in the eye.

I sighed. "You're still working for _them_?"

She nodded slowly, still refusing to meet my gaze. "Hai. The Academy let me go, because I was still a minor. Then I heard of this plan and…" She bit her lip.

I stood up, dusting off my skirt. "You still want to do this, huh?" I looked up the way I had fallen in. I could easily climb out of this place.

"Y-you're not going to capture me?" Her voice shook.

The way she wouldn't look at me, I also refused to meet her gaze. I placed one hand on a protruding rock on the dirt wall, and ground my foot into a hole in the wall. "Hmm? What good would that do me? It's your life; your choice. You want to do this? I'm not stopping you. Your life is yours to live."

I left her, dumbfounded, as I crawled up and out of the crevice, Spider-Man-style. Tucking my suitcase under my arm, I ran deeper into the forest without looking back. I'd hate to be caught by the men who captured Kenta.

I couldn't very well just walk out of the gates, seeing as those evil men were lurking near there. They were probably followers of Seta, and forget what others said about him knowing the future – he was still human, after all, and humans are not gods.

For now, all I could do was hide out in the forest and wait it out.

Then, I could make my move.

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I could see the clock tower from where I hid, and about fifteen minutes had passed since I settled down there.

The Academy grounds were still tinted orange from flames; the screams of frightened students were only getting louder. Shadows danced on the trees and on the floor; I could no longer tell which was animal, tree or human. My heart beat was getting faster with every passing minute, and I was amazed that I hadn't died of a heart attack yet.

I started thinking about what happened to Aoshi-san… And Hiro-kun… And Kenta… I just left them all behind, and I didn't even know what had happened to them. I began whimpering.

My whimpers turned into sobs, and I couldn't stop myself from crying. The enemy could very well hear me and find me soon…

Like speak of the devil, heavy footsteps trudged through the leaf litter on the forest ground. I tried biting my lip to stop the wails, but I couldn't. A new shadow intermingled with the dancing ones, large and threatening. I trembled.

I closed my eyes and stuffed my fists into my mouth in a pathetic attempt to muffle the sobs. It was already too late, however, because a pair of legs was placed squarely in front of me.

"Ssssh." The owner of the legs knelt in front of me, and engulfed me in a warm embrace.

Recognising the familiar scent, and not to mention my Alice finally kicking in and identifying it, I buried my head into Natsume's chest and heaved big fat baby sobs.

"I'm here," he said, stroking my head and back lovingly. "Don't cry any more, I'm here."

"Gomen, gomen ne," I choked into his neck. "I said all those mean things about you. I don't care anymore! I love you, Natsume. I love you!"

Natsume pulled me away from him, and looked intently into my tear-streaked face. I felt dirty and ugly. "I've never been one to use words to get my point across," Natsume breathed, before cupping my face and dipping low to capture my lips in his.

My arms snaked around his neck, but our "love-love" session was interrupted when a gunshot was fired into the air. Which brought me back down to Earth, and I realised that I had to get away _right now_.

I clutched my suitcase to my chest, getting up. "Won't you come with me?" I pleaded with Natsume.

"Iie." He looked genuinely sorry. "It's my sister." He plucked a leaf from my hair.

I gave his hand a squeeze. "I understand."

"Let's get you out of here." He led me into the night, and out of the Academy.

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We were on a hill, I think, overlooking the Academy grounds. The buildings were still burning. No one could see us, as numerous sakura trees were hiding us from view. However, far outside the Academy campus, it was snowing, the way things should be in January.

The sun was rising in the East, illuminating the white, snow-covered grounds. I still hadn't let go of Natsume's hand.

"I have to go back," Natsume said quietly. I did not answer.

"Isn't it beautiful?" I murmured. "The snow… The bare trees… This chill."

I felt Natsume shrug. "It's the way things should be."

The way things should be… "Ne, Natsume," I said.

"Nani?" He knew he had to go back soon, but he didn't rush.

"Promise me something," I said, resolve seeping into my otherwise soft and weak voice. "Promise me that… we'll see each other again in three years. And, if we still feel the same…"

I looked at him and put down my suitcase. I clutched both of his hands in mine. They were warm, while mine were cold.

"Let's get married."

His crimson eyes widened in shock, before settling back into their usual expressionless state.

Natsume did not speak, but instead kissed me once more. He smiled at me, before turning around and leaving.

"I promise you, Mikan."

He didn't look back as he trudged down the hill, but raised a hand in goodbye. I waved back, although I knew he did not see. As I looked at his retreating form, I couldn't help but let a small smile graze my features.

When I could no longer see Natsume, I walked down the hill as well, but turned to a different path.

The sakura trees were bare, the animals were hibernating, and the birds were off south. The wind was chilly, and the snow wouldn't stop falling. It was so cold, and my cheeks were stinging from the iciness.

I was walking alone in the snow. My face was covered with grime, and my uniform was dirty, but I didn't care.

I was still smiling.

This is the way things should be.

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**The End.**

Final chapter - ghost readers, speak now or forever hold your peace. You guys really don't have any opinions on this story? D:

Anyway, this is the end of Mikan's POV, at least. Next chapter will be a short epilogue.**  
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	20. Epilogue

I mean it - speak now or forever hold your peace.

This chapter is less than a thousand words, and took twenty-five minutes to write. This is the epilogue for this story, and the prologue for the sequel.

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The Overture**  
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Three months had passed since Mikan left the Academy, yet the war rubble left in her wake was still very much hellish in the memories of most.

The embers from Seta's explosions were extinguished, but the Academy's glorious, pristine white buildings would never be the same again. In fact, aside from the High School Division dormitory and the Headquarters, all the remaining buildings were reduced to nothing but charred debris.

With hundreds of confused, homeless students, and a broken school campus, restoring the Academy seemed impossible at this point. There was simply too much work to be done; too much paperwork to fill out; too many government bodies and corporations to explain the situation to. Yuki Aoshi had his hands filled.

Or rather, his hand, for he only had one left.

It was spring already in the Academy, free of controlled weather since the inferior machine was destroyed in the bombings. Spring was supposed to bring new life to the world, but looking at the desolate residue of the once magnificent Alice Academy, Natsume begged to differ.

He surveyed the ruined buildings from his perch on the grand hill, ignoring the sakura petals that fell and mingled in his raven black hair. He glanced at the man next to him, a man who had gone to hell, and came back.

"Aoshi-san." Natsume's voice was no longer harsh and croaky from lack of use – it had a gentler, more patient feel. "I've finished patrolling the Western side of campus. Reconstruction seems to be going well."

"I see. Thank you, Hyuuga." Almost instinctively, Aoshi-san cradled his bandaged stump of a right arm. It was an eternal reminder of the chaos the Academy had experienced just a mere three months ago. Yuki Aoshi had met the devil incarnate, and somehow lived. However, he was still not ready to tell the tale of how the demon claimed his arm.

The two men gazed out at the motley crew of teachers and students playing construction workers and gathering lumber for the reconstruction.

After the Seta fiasco, accepting outside help for the Academy reconstruction had been a wary, sensitive topic. In the meanwhile, the Academy's staff and student body were set to the task of rebuilding the institute. However, everyone knew that this couldn't last. The authorities were going to send the "gifted" children away somewhere soon. They couldn't be used for child labour.

To break the sombre, tense silence between them, the headmaster said, "So, she was the one who proposed."

Natsume was hesitant to reply. If he were a father, he, too, would be hesitant to give his daughter away for marriage. Especially if it was to someone he disliked.

"I'm sorry," he eventually said, sensing that Aoshi was waiting for a reply.

"There's no need to be," the one-armed man said quietly.

A bird chirped in a nearby sakura tree, before spreading its beautiful green wings and flying off into the vast, blue sky. Aoshi stretched his left arm out, palm open, and caught a single cherry blossom petal. He thought he'd never see spring again.

The two men gazed down at the construction site, watching the teachers and students gather lumber for the Academy's restoration.

At this point, it seemed that returning the Alice Academy to its former glory was just a pipe dream. However, both the older man and the younger man knew that it wasn't impossible. All it took was time.

All it took was time before they could see Mikan again.

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The brunette's breath came out in short, ragged huffs. Her legs were tired and she couldn't stop sweating. How long had this chase gone on for?

Mikan's legs gave way and she buckled to the ground, pressing a hand flat against her incessantly beating heart. Her long hair stuck uncomfortably to her sweaty face and neck.

Shadows filled the alley the olive-eyed woman occupied. She was glad for them, for they hid her from her pursuers.

However, the shadows also hid her pursuers from her. They descended upon the unwitting female, swiftly, silently.

They took her before she could even scream.

In the shadows, a pair of blood red eyes flashed dangerously. When he heard the rustle of cloaks and the sound of flesh hitting flesh, Persona knew it was time to make his presence known.

Two years and six months had gone by since the promise had been made.

But now, for the first time, Mikan Sakura doubted if she could fulfil her end of the bargain.

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**To be continued…**

It's done! I thank all my readers, reviewers and the lovely people who have put this on their Favourites list! You guys rock, and I would give you all cookies if I still had chocolate chips in the fridge. I honestly don't have the right words to thank the people who have made my day, and who have supported me for this story.

Next problem - what to name the sequel? Argh...


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